Alex Eala through to second round of Indian Wells
The Philippines’ Alexandra Eala reacts on a point to Russia’s Alina Charaeva during their women’s singles match at the Philippine Women’s Open tennis tournament in Manila on January 26, 2026. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala got a first-round bye in the Indian Wells Open set from March 4 to 15 in California.
Riding a career-high world ranking of No. 31 in the Women’s Tennis Association, Eala is bound for the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament, her third after participating in the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships.
READ: Alex Eala soars to World No. 31 in latest WTA rankings
The Filipino tennis ace reached the quarterfinals in Dubai, losing to her former doubles partner Coco Gauff, 0-6, 2-6.
Before falling to Gauff, Eala upset World No. 7 Jasmine Paolini in the round of 32 and took down Sorana Cirstea to reach the final eight.
Gauff and Paolini are also seeded players in the Indian Wells with No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, and defending champion Mirra Andreeva.
After the Indian Wells, the 20-year-old Rafa Nadal Academy graduate is also expected to compete in the Miami Open, where she had a historic semifinal run as a wildcard.
