Jasmine Paolini and Dubai director explain why Alexandra Eala is already ‘huge’ for women’s tennis
Alexandra Eala is already ‘huge’ and ‘important’ for tennis, according to both Jasmine Paolini and the director of the WTA 1000 tournament in Dubai, with the Filipina moving into the second round of the event.
The world No 40 was in action on Monday in the United Arab Emirates tournament against Hailey Baptiste.
The American retired whilst down 6-4, 0-1, due to an abdominal injury.
Eala looked in solid form and received a rapturous reception from the crowd, which have become commonplace for the youngster.
She will next play former Wimbledon runner-up and sixth seed Jasmine Paolini, with the pair having never met at a professional event.
The Italian was asked about what Eala means for the future of women’s tennis, given how well received she has been.
“I think it’s really important to have people from all around the world playing tennis,” said Paolini.
“Somebody like Alexandra Eala, it’s a huge thing for tennis. I think it’s great to have many, many fans also coming in tournaments where usually there are fewer people.
“Like Abu Dhabi was full of people watching Eala. I also remember the first match in Doha, you could hear from outside the court people cheering for her.
“It’s great. I think also for the generation that are coming after that for tennis.
“We all know Asia has a big population, so a lot of people that can come to tennis, can support us, can support our sport, as well.”
Latest Tennis News
Carlos Alcaraz acknowledges his ‘weaknesses’ ahead of return to action
Eala has had a mixed 2026 season so far, reaching the semi-finals of Auckland before being defeated in the first round of the Australian Open.
Since that disappointing defeat, the Filipina already managed to make the last eight in both Manila and Abu Dhabi.
Tahlak – director of the Dubai event – shared a similar sentiment to Paolini and, correctly, predicted that the large Filipino community would welcome the 20 year old with open arms.
“She (Eala) is a fantastic young player,” he said.
“She is very positive and very enthusiastic. So we are hopeful [that she is received well].
“We have three thousand Filipino staff in Dubai Duty Free. And such a Filipino presence in Dubai and the UAE in general.
“I think it’s close to one million, the number of Filipinos we have in the UAE now.
“It’s a very big community. So it’s important because we are creating loyalty among fans. You create knowledge and awareness about the player, and they follow the player.
“She is an Asian player who is making a mark on the world stage. So when a rising Asian star arrives here for this tournament, it will only upgrade the tennis and our tournament.”
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
