Alex Eala was candid about the “gap” between herself and Coco Gauff after her lopsided defeat to the American star at the 2026 Dubai Championships.
The 20-year-old Filipina lost the first 10 games in her 0-6, 2-6 loss to Gauff in the quarter-finals at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai.
It was Eala‘s first encounter with Gauff, a two-time Grand Slam champion and the current world No 4.
Eala overcame Hailey Baptiste, Jasmine Paolini and Sorana Cirstea during her impressive run in Dubai.
In the previous two weeks, Eala exited the WTA 1000 in Doha in the first round after she reached the quarter-finals at the WTA 500 in Abu Dhabi.
In a post on her Instagram account after losing to Gauff, Eala reflected on her series of tournaments in the Middle East.
“Three weeks of fighting with love and pride has come to an end here in Dubai,” the world No 47 wrote.
“The competition, the atmosphere, the hospitality, and the full-blown support has made these weeks ones I’ll never forget! Thank you.”
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Eala went on to share a quote from Sabrina Santamaria, an American WTA player who has a Filipina mother.
“@sabsantamaria once said, “it’s a privilege to play in front of people who see themselves in you.” I couldn’t agree more. What a privilege it is to do what you love, with love,” Eala continued.
In a post-match interview, Eala spoke about the gap to the top players and remained positive about her week in Dubai.
“Obviously, I think the gap between us was pretty prominent,” the Filipina said.
“That’s not to say that I’m so far out of reach from these players. I think this match was… I mean, the score says a lot, but I think I’m not so disappointed.
“I keep my head up. I feel good about the whole week, and how I’ve been doing. So, the biggest takeaway for me, honestly, is that I’m on the right path.”
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