The Dubai crowd witnessed a breakout moment on Tuesday night as rising Filipina star Alexandra Eala delivered the biggest shock of the tournament, knocking out sixth seed Jasmine Paolini in straight sets at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Is Eala now a growing top-10 giant-killer?

Well, the 20-year-old Filipina produced a commanding display to defeat the former champion 6-1, 7-6(5), marking her first Top-10 victory of 2026 and the third of her young career. With the win, she also advanced to the Round of 16 in Dubai for the first time.

The match initially looked one-sided. Eala dominated the opening set and quickly moved ahead by a set and a break. But closing out a Top-10 opponent proved far tougher than gaining the lead. Paolini raised her level late in the second set, saving three match points while trailing 3-5 and stringing together three straight games to go up 6-5. The momentum had shifted, but only briefly.

Alexandra Eala held serve to force a tiebreak and, after missing another match point at 6-4, finally sealed victory on her fifth opportunity with a clean forehand winner up the line after 1 hour and 40 minutes. After the match, the youngster reflected on the tension of the closing stages:

“All of the emotions are coming because the tension was so high, especially during that second set, so I’m really happy to have gotten through. She’s a great opponent, obviously being Top 10 and a former champion here in Dubai, so to be able to compete at this level with her is a great achievement for me.”

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Eala also drew inspiration from the support in the stands: “In the tie-break, I was trying everything to keep myself in check. In the change of ends, I was thinking about how this stadium is full of Filipinos, and I thought of how many of them were probably praying for me to win! So I knew that I had to give everything I had.”

Her performance backed up the emotion. She won 86% of first-serve points and finished with a 7-2 winners’ edge in key exchanges. The victory improves Alexandra Eala’s record against elite opposition to 3-2 vs. Top-10 players; remarkably, all three wins have come in straight sets. Her earlier statement victories came against Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek during last year’s Miami breakthrough.

Now, confidence is matching talent for the 20-year-old, whose aggressive baseline play and composure under pressure are rapidly becoming defining traits. Next up, Eala faces Sorana Cîrstea in the third round after the Romanian defeated Linda Noskova 6-1, 6-4.

With belief-building and giant-killing becoming a habit, Dubai may only be the beginning of a bigger statement season for tennis’ newest rising star. But do you know that before this epic R32 duel, Jasmine Paolini had showered praise on this young tennis sensation?

Jasmine Paolini explains why the rise of Alexandra Eala is important for tennis as a whole

The impact of Alexandra Eala is already being felt far beyond match results. Ahead of their Dubai clash, Jasmine Paolini highlighted how the 20-year-old’s growing popularity is shaping the global reach of women’s tennis. Despite not yet winning a WTA title, Eala has already crossed 200 career match wins and climbed to No. 40 (currently ranked 47) in the rankings. Her big wins against superstars of women’s tennis and fearless style have turned her into one of the most followed young players on tour.

The Filipina recently made history by becoming the youngest Asian woman to record top-10 wins in multiple Tier-1/WTA 1000 events – even younger than Naomi Osaka when she achieved the same feat. But numbers alone don’t explain the buzz. According to Paolini, it’s the reach Eala brings to the sport that truly matters.

“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 is 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.”

Tournament officials at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships echoed that sentiment. Director Salah Tahlak emphasized how Eala’s presence energizes both local and international audiences.

Alexandra Eala’s 2026 campaign has had ups and downs: a semifinal run in Auckland followed by an early exit at the Australian Open. Since then, she has rebounded with quarterfinal appearances in Manila and Abu Dhabi. However, in Doha, she faced an early exit. Currently, as per WTA’s website, she has a win-loss record of 7-5 this season.

But her recent Top-10 win in Dubai only strengthens the narrative Paolini pointed out: Eala is not just a promising player; she represents new markets, new fans, and a broader global future for women’s tennis.