Alexandra Eala captured one of the biggest wins of her career on Tuesday, defeating world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 7-6(5) at the Dubai Championships to mark the rising WTA star’s third career Top 10 win.

Eala dominated the opening set, landing 67% of her first serves and winning 86% of those points. Paolini, however, never earned a single break point opportunity in the set.

The second set proved more competitive for Eala, eventually going to a tiebreak. The 20-year-old Philippines native later converted her fifth match point to close out the victory after 1 hour and 40 minutes on the court.

“All the emotions are coming because the tension was so high, especially during that second set,” Eala said postmatch.

“[Paolini] is a great opponent, obviously, being Top 10 and a former champion here, so to be able to compete with her at this level is a great achievement for me.

2024 Dubai Championships winner Paolini struggled to find rhythm against Eala’s aggressive play, as Eala reached the tournament’s Round of 16 for the first time in her career. This win also represents Eala’s first Top 10 victory since her historic 2025 Miami Open semifinal run.

What’s Next for Alexandra Eala at the 2026 Dubai Championships

The Filipina star continues her WTA Tour campaign this week, advancing to face Romania’s Sorana Cîrstea at the Dubai Championships Round of 16 on Thursday at 11:10 AM ET, live on The Tennis Channel.