Coco Gauff and Alexandra Eala are both set to begin their singles campaigns at the Berlin Tennis Open on Wednesday, June 17. However, neither player was able to get a full night’s sleep, as an unexpected emergency forced them out of their hotel rooms, with Eva Lys taking the opportunity to capture their reactions to the chaos.
How Coco Gauff and Alexandra Eala Handled the Fire Alarm Disruption
Gauff, Eala, and Lys have consistently showcased their close friendship since arriving in Berlin for the WTA 500 event. The trio recently turned heads at the players’ party, where they happily posed together in chic outfits. Gauff and Eala were also quick to show their support for Lys after she unveiled her collaboration and photoshoot with Vogue Germany at the tournament.
This time, however, their gathering was entirely unplanned. It was prompted by a fire alarm that went off at 3 a.m., sparking chaos and forcing the guests, including the three players, to evacuate their hotel. Despite the disruption, the WTA stars remained in good spirits, as Lys captured Gauff and Eala showing off their late-night attire with a fire truck visible in the background.
The German also revealed that the local time was 3:46 a.m., suggesting that they had been stranded outside for nearly an hour.
“3am firealarm fitcheck,” Lys posted.
The late-night disruption could prove especially detrimental for Eala, who is scheduled to lock horns with Donna Vekić in the first match of the day at the Berlin Open. Their first-round encounter is set to begin at 11 a.m. local time (5 a.m. ET) at Steffi Graf Stadion. A victory would send the Filipina into a tough second-round battle with No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina.
Gauff, who has received a first-round bye, will take on Paula Badosa later in the same stadium. However, their second-round clash is not expected to start before 3:30 p.m. CEST (9:30 a.m. ET). The American has already commenced her doubles campaign alongside partner Jessica Pegula, with the duo defeating Anastasia Potapova and Diana Shnaider 7-6(4), 6-4 in their opening match.
Meanwhile, Lys has advanced to the second round after claiming a 7-6(7), 6-3 win over Magdalena Fręch. Up next, the home favorite will square off against No. 6 seed Elina Svitolina, who set up a meeting with Lys after Anna Kalinskaya retired from their tournament opener.
