Alexandra Eala during the 2024 Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge in Dubai.. Photos by Supplied
A proud tennis fraternity in Dubai has converged as one voice to hail the phenomenal rise of Filipina tennis sensation Alexandra Eala on to the global stage.
The 19-year-old was all at once looking at tougher tennis battles following her dream run at the Miami Open, late on Saturday.
Eala, who also made it to the semifinals of the 2024 season-ending Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge in December, took down three Grand Slam champions in succession — including the scalp of world No.2 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals — en route to her maiden WTA 1000 semifinals.
“Wow, this year’s Miami Open has left me speechless and so full of emotion, mostly pride and gratitude. I’m proud of myself for pushing through those tough moments, as well as to have been able to make a statement for the Philippines in one of the biggest stages of tennis,” Eala wrote on Instagram on Sunday.
Khalaf Al Habtoor, Chairman of the Habtoor Group that organises the annual Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge, was thrilled to see one more player come through while living up to the tournament motto of watching ‘bright stars of the future take the next step forward’.
“I look forward to watch players like Alex (Eala), who has been among the few who have played with us in Dubai and now fulfilling their potential on the world stage. I am keenly watching the progress of such players, as this is the main emphasis of our tournament. It gives me a deep sense of satisfaction simply because Dubai has been able to play a small part in their success as top players,” Al Habtoor said.
The chairman of the Habtoor Group also expects to see Eala play in Dubai again this year.
“We are proud of what she [Eala] has done in tennis so far. She showed us what she was capable of when she made it to the semifinals of the 27th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge in December last year. And now that she has climbed up the rankings, I am certain Alex will be back at the end of this year to continue her unfinished business,” Al Habtoor said.
In the week gone by, the 19-year-old was only the second wildcard to snatch three successive wins over Grand Slam champions at a single WTA event. The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate won her first WTA 1000 main draw game against World No.73 Katie Voleynets before going on to win against World No.25 and 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and then World No.5 Madison Keys.
Eala’s performance in Miami will see her leap from her previous career-high ranking of No.134 to around No.75 – a progression that will hand her automatic entry into the main draw of the remaining three Grand Slams starting with the French Open, in May.
“Tennis players who come through our tournaments in Dubai have more than once proved how this competition has proved to be beneficial in their careers. Alex [Eala] is yet another case in point that proves that our tournament, the annual Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge, is on the right path for the career growth of these players,” remarked Noura Badawi, Tournament Director for the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge.
“Like Dubai, the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge has earned itself a name in the world of tennis, and it is players like Alexandra who have consistently made us believe that we are doing the right thing for the sport,” she added.
The Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge began as a $25,000 (AED 91,250) event that was classified as a $75,000 tournament between 1999 to 2015. In 2016, this was upgraded to a $100,000+H competition on the ITF Women’s Circuit.
The brainchild of Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Founding Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, the annual tournament has managed to live up to its hype of encouraging the development of women’s tennis in the UAE and the region, while raising the profile of the sport across the Arab world.
Included in the long list of past champions are former Grand Slam winners and top-class players such as Sorana Cirstea (2020), Ana Bogdan (2019), Peng Shuai (2018), Belinda Bencic (2017), Kimiko Date-Krumm (2012), Sania Mirza (2010), Maria Kirilenko (2007), Kateryna Bondarenko (2006), Marion Bartoli (2005), Jelena Jankovic (2003) and inaugural winner Kyra Nagy (1998).
Tournament Co-ordinator Laith Al Ani was pleased about the latest result.
“We are hopeful of the future of tennis based on the results that have been seen since the past few years now,” Al Ani said.
“Players like Alex show us that we are doing the right things for tennis, not just here in the UAE, but in the region as well,” he added.
Till date, Eala is the highest-ranked Filipina singles player in WTA Tour history, surpassing Maricris Gentz and becoming the first player to reach the top 100 in the WTA Rankings.
