Who is Zeynep Sonmez? Alex Eala’s first round opponent at Abu Dhabi Open

Alexandra “Alex” Eala will open her Abu Dhabi Open campaign against Zeynep Sonmez of Türkiye in the Round of 32 on Monday.

The 23-year-old Sonmez is currently ranked No. 112 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and previously reached a career-high ranking of No. 69 in October 2025.

She captured her first WTA title in 2024 after winning the WTA 250 Merida Open in Mexico, where she defeated Ann Li, 6-2, 6-1, in the final.

Sonmez made her Grand Slam debut in 2024, competing in the first round of Roland Garros. In 2025, she played in all four Grand Slam tournaments, reaching the Round of 64 at the US Open and the Round of 32 at Wimbledon.

Sonmez and Eala have faced each other as far back as 2023. Their first meeting came in November 2023 at the ITF France 22A, where Eala prevailed, 7-6, 6-4. Their most recent encounter was in the Eastbourne Open qualifiers, which the Filipina ace won, 6-1, 6-3.

The two have also teamed up in doubles, reaching the semifinals of the ITF Luxembourg and ITF Slovakia tournaments.

Eala, meanwhile, is coming off a historic homecoming in Manila as the Philippines hosted for the first time a WTA 125 event. The Filipina ace, however, fell short to eventual champion Camila Osorio in the quarterfinals.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News