Coco Gauff Reveals Crowd Mindset After Ending Alexandra Eala’s Campaign in Dubai

Coco Gauff is hoping to rebound well after Australian Open disappointment.

Coco Gauff Reveals Crowd Mindset After Ending Alexandra Eala’s Campaign in Dubai

Coco Gauff (Image via X/Quindici Zero)

In Short
  • Coco Gauff defeated Alexandra Eala 6-0, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
  • The crowd, filled with Filipino fans, passionately supported Eala throughout the match.
  • Gauff's victory advances her to the semifinals, where she aims for another title.

Coco Gauff came to play, and Alexandra Eala got a masterclass in what it takes to hang with the elite. The American star dismantled the rising Filipina talent 6-0, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Wednesday, advancing to the semis with the kind of ruthless efficiency that’s become her calling card.

If there was one thing that stood out beyond the tennis, it was the crowd. Filipino fans packed the stands, waving flags, chanting Eala’s name, and turning Dubai into Manila for a few hours. Even in defeat, they stayed loud, cheering every point Eala won as if it were a match point. Gauff revealed how she managed the audience. Gauff said in her on-court interview:

Whenever you guys were cheering for Alex I was pretending it was my name. I think it helped me a lot. If you can’t beat em, you gotta join em.

It wasn’t pretty for Eala early on. Gauff, ranked No. 4 in the world, blitzed through the first set in just 26 minutes, dropping a bagel on the 20-year-old without breaking a sweat.

The Aviation Tennis Centre crowd, packed with Filipino fans draped in flags and cheering every point, could only watch as Gauff’s power and precision overwhelmed their hometown hero. Gauff’s mentality was similar to Novak Djokovic’s and how he managed the crowd in the Wimbledon 2019 final, who was completely behind his opponent, Roger Federer.

Coco Gauff holds steady

Down a set and staring at a potential blowout, Alex Eala finally found her footing in the second. She broke Coco Gauff‘s serve and rattled off back-to-back games to cut the deficit to 4-2, suddenly making this a contest. The crowd erupted. For a moment, it looked like momentum might swing.

Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff (Image via X/Coco Gauff Fans)

Gauff, though, is a two-time Grand Slam champion for a reason. She steadied the ship, tightened up her returns, and closed out the next two games with clinical precision. Final score: 6-0, 6-2. Total match time: just under an hour.

Gauff moves on to the semifinals, where she’ll face a yet-to-be-determined opponent. She’s hunting another big title, and based on how she’s playing, she’s got a real shot at it.

Alex Eala’s stock still rising

Alex Eala didn’t embarrass herself. Sure, the scoreline looks lopsided, but this was a quarterfinal at a WTA 1000 event against one of the best players on the planet. The fact that she even made it this far speaks volumes.

Alexandra Eala
Alexandra Eala (image via Instagram @miamiopen)

Eala, ranked No. 47, has been climbing steadily. She’s already the highest-ranked Filipina player in history, and matches like this—tough losses against elite competition—are exactly what she needs to keep leveling up. She got a taste of what it’s like to compete at the highest level, and she showed flashes of her potential, especially in that second-set rally.

Meanwhile, she heads out of Dubai with her head held high. She’s got more tournaments ahead in the Middle East swing, and if she keeps this trajectory going, breaking into the top 40 is well within reach.

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