MANILA — Alex Eala pulled off one of the biggest wins of her young career after rallying from a set down to defeat Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, in the first round of the 2026 ASB Classic on Tuesday in Auckland, New Zealand.
The 20-year-old Filipina overcame a strong challenge from the Croatian veteran, who claimed silver in the 2024 Paris Olympics, to advance to the Round of 16. Eala will next face fellow Croatian Petra Marcinko as she continues her campaign in the WTA tournament.
Eala came out aggressively and jumped to a quick 3-0 lead in the opening set, showing confidence against the world No. 69. Vekic, however, leaned on her experience and took control soon after, winning six of the next seven games to snatch the first set.
The Filipina steadied herself in the second frame, trading heavy baseline exchanges with Vekic before breaking serve to build a 5-3 advantage. Although Vekic managed to claw back one game, Eala held firm and closed out the set to force a deciding third.
Eala briefly left the court for a medical timeout before the final set but returned with renewed focus. The match tightened as both players protected their serves until the latter stages, where Eala seized a crucial break to go up 5-3.
Serving for the match, Eala committed consecutive errors, including a double fault, allowing Vekic to close the gap to 5-4. Undeterred, the Filipina regrouped in the following game and finished the contest with a powerful forehand winner to complete the comeback in nearly three hours.
Despite playing far from home, Eala drew energy from the vocal Filipino crowd in attendance.
“It’s so special. One thing I’ve learned is that home is the people, not the place. Maraming salamat,” Eala said after the match.
Eala acknowledged Vekic’s pedigree and experience, noting the difficulty of the contest but expressing satisfaction with her level of play against a decorated opponent.
Earlier in the tournament, Eala and doubles partner Iva Jovic also advanced after scoring a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina in the women’s doubles Round of 16.
The win adds to Eala’s growing list of notable performances and continues her strong momentum following a breakthrough 2025 season on the international circuit.
