Colombian tennis player Camila Osorio face Alex Eala in the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open quarterfinals at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila on January 29, 2026. A major crowd drawer, Eala failed to reach the semifinals after losing to Osorio (4-6, 4-6). Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala has flown to Abu Dhabi for her next WTA stop, following her exit in the inaugural Philippine Women's Open.
In a video posted by the Philippine Tennis Association, the 20-year-old departed Manila on Friday accompanied by her parents Mike and Rizza and coach Joan Bosch.
Eala ended her campaign in the country's first-ever WTA 125 tournament on Thursday, after falling to Colombia's Camila Osorio in the quarterfinals.
READ: Alex Eala looks at the positives despite QF exit at Philippine Women's Open
The Filipina tennis star now has her sights set on the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, where she will compete in the main draw as a wildcard.
Eala initially was given a wildcard to the qualifiers of the tournament, but organizers later announced she was promoted to the main draw.
The 20-year-old said her mindset stays the same heading into the Abu Dhabi Open.
"I think my goal is just to win, take it match by match," she said on Thursday.
Defending champion and 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic, WTA No. 5 Elena Rybakina, and former world no. 2 Paula Badosa are among the players that headline the indoor hard-court tournament.
Some of Eala's former opponents like Jelena Ostapenko, Victoria Mboko and Clara Tauson are also in the main draw of the Abu Dhabi Open. Canadian-Filipina tennis player Leylah Fernandez is likewise competing in the tournament.
Aside from Eala, her former opponent Janice Tjen of Indonesia will also play at the Abu Dhabi Open.
The Filipina said it's good to see more Southeast Asian players in the international tennis scene.
"I'm so proud to be you know, to be in that kind of group of girls who are really lifting up the sport in our region. I think the level is really there as you can see, four women, young women in the main draw of Australian Open this year from Southeast Asia. I think it creates a really good atmosphere. I think it can only do great things for the sport," she said.
The Abu Dhabi Open main draw is scheduled to begin on February 1.