09/03/2026
https://youtu.be/YhnIyKGAOeE
EALA TURNS THE TABLES — REVENGE, RESILIENCE, AND A CAREER-DEFINING NIGHT
Alexandra Eala (Philippines) def. Coco Gauff (USA) 6-2, 2-0 ret.
Less than three weeks after being dismantled 6-0, 6-2 in the Dubai quarterfinals, Alexandra Eala returned a completely different player. The 20-year-old Filipina, seeded 31st at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open, turned the tables on world No. 4 Coco Gauff of the United States in a remarkable third-round encounter at Stadium 1 in Indian Wells — advancing to the fourth round for the first time in her career after Gauff was forced to retire with a left arm injury, with Eala leading 6-2, 2-0 after just 54 minutes.
The match was one of the most anticipated of the entire tournament. Just seventeen days earlier, Gauff had handled Eala 6-0, 6-2 in Dubai. Upon arriving at Indian Wells, Eala had spoken openly about wanting revenge — not out of animosity, but out of ambition. "I would love to play her again. I think she's an incredible athlete and an incredible person and she's a role model for a reason," Eala said. Wish granted, indeed.
From the opening game, it was clear something was wrong with Gauff. She committed seven double faults in the first set alone, converting only 43.6 percent of her first serves, giving Eala the opening to break her five times. The American called for a medical timeout for treatment on her left hand during the first set, but Eala never let up, capitalising ruthlessly on every opportunity. The young Filipina mixed drop shots and cross-court rallies, forcing Gauff to move frequently across the baseline.
After Eala clinched the opening set 6-2, Gauff returned for the second — but her limitations were painfully visible. The trainer worked on her shoulder and forearm before applying a compression bandage to stabilize the arm. Despite returning to the court, Gauff's movement and serve continued to look limited. When Eala broke serve early in the second set to go 2–0 ahead, Gauff walked to the net and decided to retire from the match.
"I'm sorry, I hate to do this," Gauff told Eala at the net. The crowd at Stadium 1, many of whom had come to cheer their home favourite, watched in stunned silence. Eala, gracious in victory, immediately checked on Gauff before heading to her post-match interview. "Thank you, Coco, for being an amazing competitor and role model," Eala said. "I didn't want to win this way but I'm grateful and happy. Mabuhay mga kababayan, andito tayo sa California."
The moment was bigger than a scoreline. Eala became the first Filipino player to reach the Round of 16 at Indian Wells since the tournament's inception. She also evened her head-to-head record against Gauff to 1-1 at the WTA Tour level, and extended her remarkable record against elite opposition. She now owns a 3-3 record against Top 5 opponents, with wins over Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek at Miami 2025, and now Gauff on Sunday.
The BNP Paribas Open is a WTA 1000 event — the highest tier of women's tennis below the Grand Slams, offering full ranking points and significant prize money. With her fourth-round appearance, Eala guaranteed herself $105,720 in prize money, and should she defeat her next opponent, that figure rises to $193,645.
Eala's next adversary in the Round of 16 will be Linda Nosková of the Czech Republic, who came from a set down to beat Sorana Cîrstea in just under two and a half hours. This will be the first career meeting between the two. The match is expected to take place on Wednesday.
EALA TURNS THE TABLES — REVENGE, RESILIENCE, AND A CAREER-DEFINING NIGHTAlexandra Eala (Philippines) def. Coco Gauff (USA) 6-2, 2-0 ret.Less than three weeks...
