ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Toting her latest acquired Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)’s world ranking at number 45, Filipina tennis sensation cruised past a persistent Zeynep Sonmez of Türkiye, 6-4, 6-3, in last night’s opening round of the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open at the posh Zayed Sports City’s International Tennis Centre.
With the win, the 20-year-old Eala moves into the tournament’s Round of 16 where she is set to face Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich—11 years her senior—who is currently ranked 109th in the world and enters the second round after pulling off a major upset against world’s No. 29 Paula Badosa of Spain.
The victory marks a triumphant return to the main tour for the Quezon City lass, who recently climbed to her new career-high ahead of the prestigious Abu Dhabi tourney.
The left-handed Eala needed only one hour and 31 minutes to dismantle the challenge of the 79th-ranked Sonmez, whole she had met and between twice in their previous encounters in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) France 22A in November 2023 and Eastbourne Open in June last year.
Eala’s win comes as a timely boost for the Filipina rising star who recently navigated a high-pressure homecoming at the first-ever WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open in Manila, where she failed to get past the quarterfinals against eventual champion Camila Osorio of Colombia.
However, she apparently has carried the momentum into the Gulf region, much to the delight of her local Filipino fans and supporters in the UAE.
In an interview during a practice session before her match with Sonmez, Eala enthused candidly about gaining more experience and doing her best in her chosen career as a professional tennis player.
“I want to keep maturing . . . This year is about dreaming big,” she disclosed.
