Alex Eala reached the round of 32 at the Dubai Tennis Championships after American Hailey Baptiste retired due to an abdomen injury. Eala expressed sympathy, stating no one likes advancing this way, and hopes Baptiste recovers soon. This win comes after an early exit from the Qatar Open.
On February 15, Alex Eala secured a 6-4, 0-1 victory over Hailey Baptiste at the Dubai Tennis Championships, a WTA 1000 event, when the American retired due to abdomen issues. This advancement to the round of 32 marks Eala's return to winning form following a first-round loss at the Qatar Open a week earlier.
“No one likes advancing this way,” Eala said. “Being on tour, I’m starting to discover, really at this level, how difficult it is to maintain your health physically, so I really hope that Hailey is okay and will bounce back soon.”
Eala holds a 7-5 win-loss record in 2026. She reached the semifinals of the ASB Classic in New Zealand, exited in the first round of the Australian Open, made the quarterfinals of the Philippine Women’s Open and Abu Dhabi Open, and fell in the opening round of the Qatar Open. “I’m super happy to be in the next round. These tournaments are such great experiences for me, especially playing in front of the best crowd ever. I’m really doing my best to try to enjoy every moment I have on court,” she added.
Eala now faces world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy in the round of 32, her first top-10 opponent of the year. Paolini reached Grand Slam finals twice in 2024, finishing runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon. Eala has previously defeated top players including Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys, and Jelena Ostapenko, all Grand Slam champions.