A hopefully well-rested Alex Eala is on a collision course once more with world No. 4 Coco Gauff at the BNP Paribas Open, which is also widely known as the Fifth Grand Slam.
That matchup is what’s in store if Eala and Gauff emerge victorious in their respective Round 2 matches in the prestigious tournament. Since both young stars are among the top 32 female players in the world just prior to the BNP Paribas Open, the two drew byes in Round 1 of the main draw.
Gauff Dominated Eala
Eala, 20, and Gauff, 21, met in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships back in February, with the American besting the Filipina, 6-0, 6-2. Gauff so thoroughly dominated Eala in the very first meeting between the former doubles partners that she won the first 10 points of the match.
The loss to Gauff snapped what had been a magical run for Eala, as she previously beat Hailey Baptiste, overcame Sorana Cîrstea, and stunned Jasmine Paolini to reach the quarterfinals.
Can Alex Eala Make a Deep Run at Indian Wells?
With the ultra-talented Gauff in her way in Round 3, the odds that Alex Eala will make a deep run at the BNP Paribas Open seem slim at best. That is, unless the former Rafa Nadal Academy student improved drastically since the last time she met Gauff. As their match in Dubai showed, there’s a gulf, not a gap, that separates the two players—and bridging that chasm won’t be easy.
One thing going for Eala is that she’s coming off a two-week break, which is her longest this season so far after a hectic start to 2026. The hope is that a refreshed and fully fit Eala can pull off upset after upset again to possibly get to the top four—or maybe even win it all.
But, again, that might be too much to ask given how stacked the field is at the BNP Paribas Open. Given its prestige, the world’s top female players—including world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, and world No. 3 Kazakh Elena Rybakina—have all entered. Suffice it to say, Alex Eala and everyone else will be facing truly elite competition at every turn.
