Southeast Asian tennis player reaches the semifinals of the first WTA 250 tournament in 2026

A perfect start to the season for the reigning SEA Games champion.

Top female player from the Philippines, Alexandra Eala, continues to make a strong impression on the international tennis scene by successfully advancing to the semifinals of the WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. She is also the first Southeast Asian player to reach the semifinals of a WTA 250 event in 2026.

In the quarterfinal match held on the morning of January 9th (Vietnam time), Eala played convincingly to defeat Magda Linette with a score of 6-3, 6-2. This victory highlights the clear development of the 20-year-old Filipino player when competing against an experienced opponent with a close WTA ranking.

The first set was quite balanced in the early games, with both players holding serve until the score reached 2-2. However, Eala suddenly accelerated, winning three consecutive games to lead 5-2. Although Linette tried to narrow the gap by winning one game, the Filipino player efficiently closed out the set.

In the second set, the match was completely dominated by Eala. She quickly took a 4-0 lead thanks to her solid play and ability to control the pace of the match. Linette only managed to claim two consolation games before the current SEA Games gold medalist finished the match, securing her place in the semifinals.

"Magda is a very experienced player, and I have faced many challenges when playing against her. Therefore, this win shows that I am on the right track and that my level has improved.", Eala stated.

Before reaching the quarterfinals, Eala had successively defeated Donna Vekic - silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics and Petra Marcinko, confirming her consistent form at this important warm-up tournament before the Australian Open.

In the women's singles semifinals, Eala will face Wang Xinyu. Besides singles, the 20-year-old player also reached the women's doubles semifinals, partnering with Iva Jovic against the Chinese duo Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan.

The year 2025 was a historic milestone in Alexandra Eala’s career as she broke into the WTA top 100 for the first time, won the WTA 125 title in Guadalajara, and earned her first SEA Games gold medal. Entering 2026, her semifinal appearance at the ASB Classic demonstrates that Eala is continuing her upward trajectory, raising hopes for Southeast Asian women's tennis on the global stage.