Coco Gauff dominantly defeated Alexandra Eala in the quarterfinal round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The World No. 4, after her victory, expressed her thoughts on her clash with the rising Filipino star, who once again drew a cheering crowd, highlighting her sportsmanship, emotional maturity, and respect for the World No. 47.
Coco Gauff’s Appreciation for Opponent Alexandra Eala
Gauff entered the Dubai Tennis Championships, a WTA 1000 outdoor hard-court tournament held from February 15 to 21, 2026, at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre, as the third seed.
She had exited the WTA 1000 Qatar TotalEnergies Open tournament with a round of 32 loss to Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto and had also competed in the doubles category with American-Canadian star Victoria Mboko, facing a round of 32 defeat from Cristina Bucșa and Nicole Melichar-Martinez.
She displayed impressive performances in Dubai, defeating Anna Kalinskaya in the round of 32 and Elise Mertens in the round of 16, and then faced Eala in the quarterfinals, marking their first career clash. She surpassed Eala in straight sets, with a final scoreline of 6-0, 6-2 in 67 minutes in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
After her pivotal victory, which showcased Gauff at her elite level, she expressed her appreciation for the crowd, who were supporting the Quezon City, Philippines native. However, Gauff demonstrated her sportsmanship, respect, and emotional maturity, highlighting how the 20-year-old is benefiting the sport.
She added, as per The Tennis Letter’s X post, “Thank you guys for coming out here. I know you were mostly supporting Alex, but I have to say, it’s great to be on a crowded court. I’ve played this tournament for many years and to see the stadium full… it means a lot. I’d like to thank Alex for bringing a new demographic to the sport. It’s great. Sometimes it’s tough when you’re playing against a home crowd. I think it’s great for the sport. Keep being enthusiastic and keep rooting for your player.”
Coco Gauff had kind words for Alex Eala and her fans after beating her in Dubai:
“Thank you guys for coming out here. I know you were mostly supporting Alex but I have to say, it’s great to be on a crowded court. I’ve played this tournament for many years and to see the stadium… pic.twitter.com/ULVMS88JWp
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 19, 2026
READ MORE: Why Did Coco Gauff Apologize to Alexandra Eala Fans? Banter and More Ahead of Their Dubai Clash
Gauff added how she was able to turn her situation against Eala, while referencing her 2025 French Open semifinal against the homeland’s Lois Boisson, who had the crowd’s support for being the local favourite to reach this stage after more than ten years, “I had a similar match at French Open last year so I brought that mindset today of whenever you guys were cheering for Alex I was pretending it was my name…if you can’t beat ’em you gotta join ’em!”
And she referenced the Boisson match during her on-court interview:
“I had a similar match at French Open last year so I brought that mindset today of whenever you guys were cheering for Alex I was pretending it was my name…if you can’t beat ’em you gotta join ’em!” 😂 https://t.co/1cXTk5q3Ep pic.twitter.com/7WvyZVBpbu
— Christian’s Court (@christianscourt) February 19, 2026
In her 2025 appearance at the Dubai Tennis Championships, Gauff had faced a round of 32 defeat to McCartney Kessler, with whom she later won the Canadian Open in doubles.
