Filipino tennis standout Alexandra “Alex” Eala is set to cap her Middle East swing with a main draw appearance at the Dubai Tennis Championships, scheduled from February 15 to 21.
Eala secured a slot in the main draw after initially being listed for the qualifying rounds, which were in their final stage on Saturday. The main draw competition is set to begin on Monday.
Her entry was upgraded following late withdrawals from several top-ranked players, including world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek. However, defending champion and world No. 7 Mirra Andreeva remains in the tournament field.
The WTA 1000-level event in Dubai will mark Eala’s sixth tournament of the year and her third stop in the Middle East swing.
Eala, currently ranked world No. 40, opened her Middle East campaign at the Abu Dhabi Open, where she advanced to the quarterfinals in singles. She also reached the semifinals in doubles alongside Indonesian partner Janice Tjen in the 500-level tournament.
She then moved on to the Qatar Open but bowed out early after a first-round loss to Tereza Valentova, 6(6)-7, 1-6, last Monday.
At the Dubai Tennis Championships, the title winner is set to take home $665,000 or around P38.4 million, along with 1,000 ranking points. Quarterfinalists will earn $98,500 or about P5.6 million and collect 215 points.
