Alex Eala will play her first WTA 500 tournament of the season, taking on Zeynep Sönmez at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
Alex Eala continues her 2026 WTA season as she kicks off her Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open campaign against Zeynep Sönmez.
Their the Round of 32 showdown in the WTA 500 tournament is projected to start at 10:10 p.m. (PH time) on February 2.
Fresh from a quarterfinal run at the Philippine Women’s Open, her first-ever home tournament, Eala carries good momentum into Abu Dhabi after earning a wild card into the main draw.
The stint also marks the 20-year-old’s first WTA 500 appearance of the 2026 season, another step forward in her steady rise on tour.
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Eala, now with a career high world no. 45 ranking, enters the matchup with confidence, holding a 2–0 career edge over the no. 79 Sönmez.
Their most recent encounter came in the Eastbourne Open qualifiers last year, a tournament that proved significant for Eala as it preceded her first-ever WTA Tour Finals appearance.
With familiarity on her side and valuable match play under her belt, Eala looks to make a strong statement in Abu Dhabi as she tests herself against higher-tier competition early in the season.
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[Editor’s note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]