After weeks of build-up around the city, Women’s Week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships finally came alive. And on opening day, it didn’t feel like just another international tournament. It felt personal.
Inside the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, Centre Court was packed. Not just with tennis fans, but with kabayans. You could feel it in the noise, see it in the flags, and sense it in the way the crowd showed up for Alex Eala.
Alexandra Eala and a Crowd That Carried Her
For many in the stands, the night revolved around Alex Eala. At just 20 years old and already the highest-ranked Filipino player in WTA history at world No. 40, she stepped onto Centre Court to face American Hailey Baptiste, ranked world No. 39.
Baptiste came into the match as a lucky loser after falling to Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova in the final round of qualifiers. On paper and in stature, she looked the more imposing player. Alex, four years younger and making her Dubai debut, looked unfazed.
As the stands turned into a wave of red, white, and blue (Philippine flag colors), Alex fed off the energy. She chased down balls, absorbed Baptiste’s power, and fired back with clean, crowd-pleasing set wins. After early breaks from both sides, Eala found her moment, broke serve, and calmly closed the first set 6-4.
The second set barely had time to settle. After Baptiste held serve in the opening game, the American was forced to retire with a left abdominal injury. The crowd went quiet, shocked by the sudden ending, before erupting again as Eala addressed them.
“No-one likes advancing in this way.”
“Being on tour, I am starting to discover how difficult it is to maintain your health physically. I’m really hoping that Hailey will bounce back soon.”
Then she turned to the people who had carried her all night. “I’m super happy to be in the next round. This tournament is serving up such great experiences for me, especially playing in front of the best crowd ever. Hello everyone, hello Kabayans! I’m very happy to advance to the next round.”
Next up for Alex Eala is a massive test against the world No. 8 and sixth seed in Dubai. But on this night, it already felt like a breakthrough moment.
Leylah Fernandez and a Match That Refused to End
Earlier in the day, Centre Court witnessed one of those matches that reminds you why live sport hits differently. Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, World No. 27, who also carries Filipino heritage, went head-to-head with Russia’s Liudmila Samsonova, ranked 10 places higher.
Samsonova edged a tense opening set 7-5, but Fernandez didn’t fade. She came out sharper in the second, building a 5-2 lead before Samsonova clawed her way back to 5-5. Just when it felt like momentum had shifted again, Fernandez held firm, broke serve, and took the set 7-5.
The third set had everything. Fernandez jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Samsonova earned break points and looked ready to swing the match back her way. But with a crowd firmly behind her, Fernandez scrambled, defended, and found winners under pressure. Errors crept into Samsonova’s game, and suddenly Fernandez was up 5-0.
To her credit, Samsonova fought back with three straight games. Serving for the match for the second time, Fernandez reset, held her nerve, and closed it out to eliminate the 13th seed.
Afterwards, Fernandez stayed long after the match, signing caps, shirts, tennis balls, and anything fans could hand over. She didn’t rush the moment.
“It definitely felt different tonight,” said the world No. 27. “I remember the past couple of years I’ve played day matches, sometimes first on, so there weren’t a lot of fans. Today, there were a lot more, and to see so many fans come watch women’s tennis means a lot; it shows the sport is growing, so I’m very happy.”
Asked if Dubai feels like a second home, her answer felt honest and familiar. “Yeah, actually, kind of. It does feel nice because you kind of feel at home. It helps a lot. Sometimes when you’re travelling so much, you forget why you play tennis, and fans always help you to remember. To feel that warmth, that love, and the passion that they have is a lot of fun.”
A Quick Finish Under the Lights
The final match of the night was short and sharp. The Czech Republic’s Sara Bejlek, ranked world No. 38, needed just 75 minutes to dispatch Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez 6-2, 6-2 under the bright Centre Court lights.
More Big Names Still to Come
Monday brings more star power, including a first-round appearance from Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu, another crowd favorite in Dubai. She faces Italian qualifier Elisabetta Cocciaretto on Court Two at 3pm.
The 26th edition of the tournament runs from February 15 to 21 and features 16 of the world’s top 20 players and 33 of the top 40. The event is owned and organized by Dubai Duty Free and held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The men’s ATP 500 tournament follows from February 23 to 28.
Tickets for the 2026 Championships are already on sale, starting from AED 65, via dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com and ticketmaster.ae.
