Alex Eala began her WTA 2026 season by competing in the doubles event of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, with partner Iva Jovic. The young tandem had a triumphant debut, defeating the veteran duo of Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina on Monday afternoon, January 5.
Youth Prevails Against Experience in Round of 16
Eala and Jovic set the tone early by breaking Williams’ serve in the opening game to seize a 2–0 advantage.
Williams and Svitolina responded with authority, stringing together four straight games to flip the momentum and move ahead. The veteran duo twice held set points at 40–15, but Eala and Jovic refused to fold, clawing back each time to level the score and force a tiebreak.
The opener became a test of nerve as Eala and Jovic erased multiple set points, eventually turning a 5–6 deficit into a hard-earned tiebreak win after 59 minutes.
That taxing first set appeared to drain the veterans as the Gen Z pairing dictated play in the second frame, breaking early and racing to a commanding lead. Eala and Jovic limited their opponents to a lone game before closing out the match in just over half an hour, sealing the victory in one hour and 29 minutes.
FINAL SCORES:
SET 1: 7–6(7)
SET 2: 6–1
The win sent Alex Eala and Iva Jovic into the quarterfinals, where they await the winner between top seeds Asia Muhammad and Erin Routliffe and the pair of Jessika Maleckova and Renata Zarazua.
The match marked the first professional doubles partnership for the pair, as Eala will start her singles action against Croatia’s Donna Vekic tomorrow, January 6.
Alex Eala Still Aiming for a Doubles Title
The 20-year-old Alex Eala emerged as one of tennis’ rising stars on the distaff side with a superb 2025, where she proved to be championship-level in singles competition. However, she hasn’t had much success in doubles, and that could be a point of emphasis for the Filipina in 2026.
Eala’s last doubles campaign was with Hao-Ching Chan back at the WTA 250 Prudential Hong Kong Open, where the duo suffered an opening-round loss. Prior to that, the pride of the Philippines, this time with partner Nadiia Kichenok, reached the semifinals at the WTA Guangzhou Open.
Indeed, Alex Eala has proven she can win in singles. Now, it is time for her to make her mark in doubles as well. And she’s off to a roaring start.
