World No. 4 Coco Gauff advanced to the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Alexandra Eala on February 19, 2026. The American silenced a passionate Filipino crowd supporting the 20-year-old Filipina in their first WTA-level meeting. Gauff's strong performance followed her dramatic third-round escape against Elise Mertens.
Coco Gauff produced a commanding display in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, defeating Alexandra Eala 6-0, 6-2 in just 67 minutes. The match, held on Center Court amid strong support for Eala from Dubai's large Filipino community of over 450,000 expatriates, marked Gauff's first win over the rising star at the WTA Tour level.
Gauff broke Eala in the opening game and raced through the first set in 26 minutes, winning all six games. She extended her lead to 4-0 in the second before Eala claimed two consecutive games. However, Gauff quickly regained control, closing out the match with her forehand proving dominant—she hit 15 winners to Eala's eight, while committing 19 unforced errors compared to Eala's 33.
On serve, Gauff landed 54% of her first serves and won 77% of those points, a marked improvement from her previous round. Eala struggled, winning only 30% of her first-serve points despite placing 57%. Gauff's path included a bye in the first round, a 6-4, 6-4 win over Anna Kalinskaya, and a 2-6, 7-6(9), 6-3 comeback against Mertens, where she saved three match points—her first such victory in five years.
Eala, ranked around No. 47, reached her second WTA 1000 quarterfinal after Hailey Baptiste retired at 6-4, 0-1, a 6-1, 7-6(5) upset of No. 8 Jasmine Paolini, and a 7-5, 6-4 defeat of Sorana Cirstea, ending the latter's seven-match winning streak. Post-match, Eala acknowledged the level gap: "At the end of the day, I think there's definitely still a gap in terms of level between me and Coco... My job is to try and close that gap."
Gauff praised her opponent: "Alex is a tough competitor and even when I was up, I knew that she could come back at any given moment." She noted the crowd: "I know you're mostly supporting Alex, but I have to say it is great to be on a crowded court." This victory sends Gauff into her 13th WTA 1000 semifinal before age 22, facing Elina Svitolina next. Eala's run ends her Middle East swing, with focus shifting to Indian Wells and Miami.
