Alexandra Eala is set to compete in the Abu Dhabi Open after travelling from the Philippines.
Eala last competed in the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open, where she was defeated by eventual champion Camila Osorio.
Eala has since been handed a difficult draw in Abu Dhabi, and she will face history-maker Zeynep Sonmez in the first round.
Does anybody else even come close to Alex Eala’s popularity right now?
Sonmez, 23, became the first Turkish player to win a main-draw match at a Grand Slam when she reached the third round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships.
Sonmez recently made the third round of the Australian Open, stunning 11th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the first round.
Ahead of her clash against Eala, Sonmez has offered her thoughts on the contest and the atmosphere she is expecting.
Zeynep Sonmez ‘loves’ Alex Eala and says the crowd will be ‘crazy’ for their match
In a video published on X [formerly Twitter], Sonmez previewed her contest against Eala.
She said: “I’m very lucky to have her as a friend. You know I love her, she’s a great person and tomorrow I’m just going to try my best and try to enjoy every second on court.
“And I know the crowd will be crazy (laughs) because I know she’s too famous! But I think we’re both going to enjoy tomorrow.”
Alex Eala has won both of her previous two matches against Zeynep Sonmez. The pair first contested a match at a W60 event in Nantes in November 2023.
Eala won the match 7-6, 6-4, and would have to wait two years before facing the Turkish star again.
At the 2025 Eastbourne Open, Eala again defeated Sonmez. This time the score was 6-1, 6-3.
Who could Alex Eala face in round two at the Abu Dhabi Open?
If Alex Eala defeats Zeynep Sonmez on Monday, she will play Aliaksandra Sasnovich in round two. Sasnovich, of Belarus, stunned eighth seed Paula Badosa 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 in the first round.
If Eala advances to the third round, she will play either Ekaterina Alexandrova, Beatriz Haddad Maia or Dayana Yastremska.
How high do you think Alexandra Eala’s ceiling is?
Eala has the opportunity to significantly increase her ranking in Abu Dhabi. The Filipina star, who attracted fans en masse to the Australian Open, competed in the Mumbai Challenger last year: a WTA 125 event.
The Abu Dhabi Open, held in the UAE, is a WTA 500 event, meaning Eala could gain 473 WTA ranking points at the tournament.
If she does win the event, Eala could rise into the top 30 on the WTA Tour.
