Putting friendship on hold, Filipina tennis star Alex Eala advanced to the Abu Dhabi Open Round of 16 by defeating her close friend Zeynep Sonmez.
For Alex Eala, her first WTA 500 tournament win this year didn’t just come from defeating a foe — it came from overcoming one of her closest friends.
The 20-year-old Filipina advanced to the Round of 16 at the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Zeynep Sonmez.
[RELATED: Alex Eala sweeps tough Sonmez for winning start to Abu Dhabi Open]
After a duel that lasted an hour and 29 minutes, the two shared a long, heartfelt hug, underscoring a friendship that extends far beyond the court.
“I’m honored to share the court with one of my closest friends, Zeynep. I admire her so much, and she is really making waves. Our friendship goes beyond tennis, and I’m so grateful for that,” Eala, now improved to 3-0 record against Sonmez in their head-to-head battle.
The Filipina broke a 3-3 tie in the first set and quickly moved to 5-3, though Sonmez narrowed the gap.
With the crowd rallying behind her, Eala secured the first set and carried the momentum into a dominant 3-0 start in the second frame en route claiming the win in her first tournament since the Philippine Women’s Open.
“It’s definitely something you get used to. As you become a professional, you learn to disassociate. But in the end, we both want the best for each other. On the court, we’re gonna do our best — both of us — to do what we can,” 20-year-old product of the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy added.
Next up for the world no. 45 is Aliaksandra Sasnovich, who stunned eight-seed Paula Badosa via a hard-fought 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 win.
Before that, Eala will also kick off her doubles campaign with Indonesian partner Janice Tjen against Fil-Canadian duo Leylah Fernandez and Kristina Mladenovic in the Round of 16 at 10:30 p.m. (PH time) later.
—
Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.