Alex Eala faces Aliaksandra Sasnovich at Abu Dhabi Open

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.

Filipina tennis sensation Alexandra Eala is set for another big test at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open as she faces Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Wednesday (February 4) at Zayed Sports City. The highly anticipated match will take place on Stadium Court in the evening session, right after Olympic gold medallist and World No. 9 Belinda Bencic takes on British qualifier Sonay Kartal (not before 5pm). Both Eala and Bencic are aiming to secure their places in the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 tournament, presented by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. The timing could not be more fitting. The matches fall on International Girl and Women in Sports Day, highlighting the impact of women athletes on the global stage. Eala heads into the match with momentum. Just a day earlier, she and Indonesia’s Janice Tjen thrilled fans with a dramatic doubles victory over Leylah Fernandez and Kristina Mladenovic. The match went down to a super tiebreak, with the Asian duo emerging victorious in front of a packed and energetic crowd on ADCB Court 1. The 20-year-old Filipina has been in impressive form and is embracing the growing spotlight. When asked about the possibility of becoming the first Filipino to win a WTA 500 tournament, Eala said: “It would mean the world – and not just as a Filipino, but just as me. It would just mean so much for my personal growth and my personal journey.” Meanwhile, Bencic returns to Abu Dhabi chasing her third Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open title, having lifted the trophy in 2023 and 2025. “The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open is a special tournament for me – I’ve had some of my best memories here,” Bencic said. “The atmosphere is always incredible, and it means so much to return to a place where I’ve felt so much support from the fans.” The tournament runs until February 7 and combines world-class WTA 500 action with community initiatives such as the Road to MADO youth pathway finals and the inaugural wheelchair tennis invitational presented by the WTA Foundation.

Wednesday schedule highlights (February 4)

Stadium Court (from 11am): • L. Kichenok / N. Kichenok vs Bucsa / Zhang • Dayana Yastremska vs Ekaterina Alexandrova (NB 1pm) • Sara Bejlek vs Jelena Ostapenko • Belinda Bencic vs Sonay Kartal (NB 5pm) • Aliaksandra Sasnovich vs Alex Eala ADCB COURT 1 (from 1pm) • I. Khromacheva / A. Klepac vs T. Mihalikova / O. Nicholls • E. Perez / D. Schuurs vs E. Alexandrova / M. Joint (NB 4pm) • S. Kenin / D. Krawczyk vs B. Krejcikova / J. Ostapenko (NB 5pm) Tickets are available at Platinumlist.