Alex Eala makes early exit in Qatar Open Round of 64

Alex Eala came up short against Tereza Valentova of the Czech Republic, 7-6(6), 6-1 to bow out in the Round of 64 of the Qatar Open 2026 on Monday.

READ MORE | Who is Tereza Valentova — Alex Eala’s Round of 64 foe in Qatar Open?

Eala and Valentova went back and forth in a competitive opening set, exchanging games before going into a tiebreak. It was Valentova, though, who came up with the big points to take the set, 7-6.

Valentova then took control of the match in the second set, winning the first five games, before the Filipina ace finally got on the board, 5-1.

The Czech, though, closed out the game soon after that, 6-1.

Eala is coming off a stint in the Abu Dhabi Open, where she reached the quarterfinals of the singles tournament and the semifinals of the doubles tournament along with partner Janice Tjen.

In 2026, she has also competed in the ASB Classic, the Kooyoung Classic, and the Australian Open.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News