Filipino tennis bet Alex Eala advanced to the Round of 32 of the Dubai Tennis Championships, but her win came under unfortunate circumstances after American opponent Hailey Baptiste retired early due to abdominal pain.

Eala was leading 6-4, 0-1 in their Round of 64 match when Baptiste was forced to stop, handing the Filipina the advance in the prestigious WTA 1000 event on Sunday, February 15.

“No one likes advancing this way,” Eala said after the match.

“Being on tour, I’m starting to discover, really at this level, how difficult it is to maintain your health physically, so I really hope that Hailey is okay and will bounce back soon.”

The victory allowed Eala to rebound after an early exit at the Qatar Open last week, showing composure in closing out the first set before the match was cut short.

However, Eala experienced a slight dip in her world standing in the latest Women's Tennis Association rankings released Monday, slipping to No. 47.

Despite the slide, she remains within the Top 50, reflecting her continued presence among the sport’s rising stars.

In the Round of 32, Eala faces a stern challenge in world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini, marking her first top-10 opponent of the 2026 season.

Paolini is a two-time Grand Slam finalist, finishing runner-up at the French Open and Wimbledon Championships in 2024.