Alexandra Eala takes out Jasmine Paolini in Dubai for third Top 10 win of career

Alexandra Eala has pulled off the biggest upset so far at this year’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, holding off a second set fightback to defeat No. 6-seeded Jasmine Paolini in the second round of the WTA 1000 event, 6-1, 7-6 (5).

“All of the emotions are coming because the tension was so high, especially during that second set, so I’m really happy to have gotten through,” Eala said after her latest big win.

“She’s a great opponent, obviously being Top 10 and a former champion here in Dubai, so to be able to compete at this level with her is a great achievement for me.”

It looked like one-way traffic for the first hour on Tuesday night, as Eala powered through the first set and eventually found herself up a set and a break, on the verge of victory.

But as Eala got closer to the finish line, Paolini came alive—the Italian fought off three match points serving at 3-5 in the second set, two at 15-40 and a third at ad-out, and would end up winning three games in a row to lead 6-5.

Eala held to take it to a tie-break, where she missed out on another match point at 6-4, but she finally closed it out on her fifth match point, rifling a forehand winner up the line to seal the victory after an hour and 40 minutes on court.

It was her 24th and final winner of the match.

“In the tie-break I was trying everything to keep myself in check,” Eala said afterwards. “In the change of ends I was thinking about how this stadium is full of Filipinos, and I thought of how many of them were probably praying for me to win! So I knew that I had to give everything I had.”

Eala’s victory over the No. 8-ranked Paolini was the third Top 10 win of her career, her first two coming against Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek during her breakthrough run to the semifinals of another WTA 1000 event in Miami last year.

She now has a winning record against Top 10 players, and even more impressively, all three wins have come in straight sets while she pushed both losses to three sets.

ALEXANDRA EALA VS TOP 10 PLAYERS: 3-2

• d. No. 5 Keys in '25 Miami 3rd Rd, 6-4, 6-2
• d. No. 2 Swiatek in '25 Miami QFs, 6-2, 7-5
• l. to No. 4 Pegula in '25 Miami SFs, 7-6, 5-7, 6-3
• l. to No. 2 Swiatek in '25 Madrid 2nd Rd, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
• d. No. 8 Paolini in '26 Dubai 2nd Rd, 6-1, 7-6

Awaiting Eala in the third round in Dubai will be a first-time meeting against Sorana Cirstea, who also pulled off an upset on Tuesday, defeating No. 10 seed Linda Noskova, 6-1, 6-4.