Alex Eala made it to the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, and that’s a big deal because it’s a WTA 1000 event. That simply means many of the best players compete in this tournament.
In the quarterfinals, however, Eala got steamrolled by one of the very best in today’s game, Coco Gauff, who rolled to a 6-0, 6-2 victory to book a spot in the semifinals. Gauff ultimately lost 6-4, 6-7(15-13), 6-4 in the semifinals to Elina Svitolina, who just happens to be an elite player herself, like Gauff.
That’s the level Alex Eala is trying to reach, and she knows full well that there’s a striking gap between where she is and where the elite are in terms of level of play.
“All things aside, at the end of the day, I think there’s still definitely a gap in terms of level between me and Coco and other players of her caliber,” Eala noted in the postmatch presser after her loss to Gauff. “So, yeah, I think she did great, and my job is to try and close that gap, and I think I’m doing that quite well. I’ll keep working on it, and hopefully next time will be a bit tighter.”
Alex Eala Is Learning on the Go
Indeed, Alex Eala is doing quite well, having risen from the ranks of the unknown to now being in the Top 50 in the world rankings. In fact, by making it to the quarterfinals in Dubai, Eala added 250 more points to her ranking total and climbed to a career-high No. 32.
But, as Eala herself astutely pointed out, there’s a considerable gap that still separates her from the game’s elite. Even so, it’s certainly welcome news that the Filipina ace is so open to learning, which is probably why she’s constantly making strides.
“This is a new experience for me in terms of crowd, in terms of playing all the night matches. So, in each circumstance, there’s so many things that I can learn,” added Eala, who will next compete in the Indian Wells Open, which is a WTA 1000 event like the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Alex Eala Next Tournament
Tournament: Indian Wells Open (a.k.a. BNP Paribas Open)
Court Type: Outdoor hardcourt
Date: March 1-15, 2026
Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, 78-200 Miles Ave, Indian Wells
