Qualifier Tereza Valentova secured her second victory over Alexandra Eala in six months, advancing to the second round of the Qatar TotalEnergies Open with a 7-6(6), 6-1 win. The 18-year-old Czech player, who recently broke into the top 50, now faces compatriot Karolina Muchova. Eala's early exit impacts her ranking, dropping her provisionally to No. 43.
In a closely contested first-round match at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha, Czech qualifier Tereza Valentova overcame Filipina Alexandra Eala 7-6(6), 6-1 on February 9, 2026. This victory marks Valentova's second triumph over Eala in the past six months, following a dominant 6-1, 6-2 win in the first round of the Osaka Open last September.
Valentova, ranked just outside the top 50 entering the tournament, started strongly in the first set, taking a 2-0 lead before Eala responded with four straight games to lead 4-2. The Czech broke back with a pair of return winners and forced a tiebreak, where she edged ahead after saving triple set point. In the tiebreak, Valentova converted her fourth set point as Eala netted a return. The second set saw Valentova play with more freedom, reducing errors and adding variety to finish with 22 winners to Eala's 12.
Eala, 20, entered Doha on the back of a quarterfinal run at the Abu Dhabi Open the previous week, where she reached a career-high No. 40 in the WTA rankings. However, her campaign ended abruptly, earning her $18,300 in prize money and just 10 ranking points. She is now provisionally down to No. 43 in the live rankings, with potential for further drops.
Valentova, meanwhile, has risen rapidly. A year ago, she was ranked No. 188 and playing ITF events; now, after a third-round run at the Australian Open, she is provisionally up to No. 40. This is only her eighth WTA main draw. Facing a hostile crowd supporting Eala—the first Filipina in the top 50—Valentova remained composed, drawing on her experience upsetting French fans at Roland Garros last year.
"I think I've played in front of bigger crowds, at French Open," Valentova said in her on-court interview. "So I know how this is working ... [This] was a really challenging match, I was really prepared for it, I was just enjoying every moment here."
Next, Valentova meets No. 14 seed Karolina Muchova in the second round.