Alex Eala secures Abu Dhabi Open main draw wild card

Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala. ARCHIVE

Alex Eala continues her rapid rise on the global tennis stage after securing a main draw wild card at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, scheduled from February 1 to 7 at Zayed Sports City. Tournament organizers confirmed that the 20-year-old Filipino tennis ace will no longer need to go through qualifiers, eliminating a potential scheduling conflict with the Philippine Women’s Open, the country’s first WTA 125 tournament. “She’s in. Alex Eala becomes the first wild card into the main draw. Keep your eyes on the main draw,” the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open announced on its official social media pages. Eala was initially listed as a qualifier for the WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi, but her promotion to the main draw allows her to compete in both tournaments without overlap—an important development as she balances commitments at home and abroad. Fresh from her Australian Open main draw debut, Eala returned to Manila and began training at the newly refurbished Rizal Memorial Tennis Center ahead of the Philippine Women’s Open, which runs from January 26 to 31. She is set to face Alina Charaeva of Russia in the Round of 32. Despite growing comparisons to national sports icon and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, Eala said she is not focused on legacy just yet. “It’s hard to think about legacy and what legacy I want to make because I’m only 20. I have a lot of years ahead of me. I have so much to learn,” Eala said during her media day at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. “I just do the best I can and hope that I can inspire people in a positive way. I do my best to carry myself with grace and with humility,” she added. “Thinking about legacy is something I haven’t really touched on yet.” Still, Eala acknowledges her growing role in Philippine tennis, especially as her recent success helped spark momentum for the country’s first WTA 125 event. “I like to think that what I do and the success that I’ve had recently has been a contributor to Philippine tennis and the history of the sport here in our country, and of course, the future of the sport,” she said. At the Abu Dhabi Open, Eala joins a strong field that includes world No. 5 Elena Rybakina, defending champion Belinda Bencic, Barbora Krejcikova, Jelena Ostapenko, Leylah Fernandez, Qinwen Zheng, and other top-ranked players. ICA/Expat Media