Filipina tennis star Alex Eala in Dubai on February 18, 2026. EXPAT MEDIA

After her big win in Dubai on Wednesday (February 18), Alex Eala shared a deeply personal reflection on her career so far. Expat Media asked: If you could speak to your five-year-old self, what would she say about where you are today? The question came after the 20-year-old continued her dream run at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday night, defeating Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea 7-5, 6-4 under the lights of Centre Court and advancing to the quarterfinals. “I think that my 5-year-old self would be proud to be sure but I want to say not too surprised,” Alex told Expat Media with a smile. “Of course at that age your imagination can go wild. But as long as I can remember this has been my dream and I’ve worked really hard for this to happen and for myself to succeed.” Her sacrifices began early, she said. “You can imagine a 5-year-old training in Manila, having her grandfather as a coach. At a very young age I was training many hours compared to a lot of the other athletes surrounding me so I would say and go out on a limb to say that the sacrifice had already started back then.” For Eala, the long hours on court and the discipline were not sudden changes. They were part of the journey from the very beginning. “So I think she would be proud,” she said. PIA/Expat Media
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