Alexandra Eala will make her first appearance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships next week, tournament organisers have confirmed, as the Filipina continues her rapid climb on the WTA Tour.
The 20-year-old, who entered the world’s Top 40 on Monday, is set to compete in one of the strongest women’s draws of the season, with 18 of the world’s top 20 players included in the field. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is among the headline names, alongside Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina.
Eala, who was born in Quezon City, has surged up the rankings over the past year after starting 2024 ranked No. 139 in the world. Her recent progress has been fueled by a series of deep tournament runs across the region.
She opened her season with a semi-final finish in Auckland, before reaching the quarter-finals in Manila and following that with another quarter-final appearance last week in Abu Dhabi. Her latest outing ended in Doha on Monday, where she lost to Tereza Valentova 7(6), 6-1.
Dubai’s premier women’s tournament will run from February 15 to 21 and marks its 26th edition. The organisers said the only top-20 absentees are Madison Keys and Naomi Osaka, both sidelined through injury.
The WTA 1000 event is expected to feature a high-profile lineup that includes multiple Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, American star Coco Gauff, and reigning Dubai champion Mirra Andreeva, adding further spotlight to Eala’s debut on one of the Tour’s biggest stages.
Eala’s Dubai appearance comes during a packed early-season campaign that has already seen her play in the Australian Open main draw and compete at Melbourne’s Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament.
After the women’s event concludes, the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships will stage its ATP 500 men’s tournament from February 23 to 28.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
