FILIPINA tennis sensation Alexandra “Alex” Eala delivered a comeback victory at the 2026 ASB Classic on Tuesday night, Jan. 6, 2026, in Auckland, New Zealand.
The 20-year-old Eala, currently ranked world No. 53 and seeded fourth in the tournament, clawed back from a set down to oust Croatian veteran and Paris Olympics silver medalist Donna Vekic, 4-6. 6-4, 6-4, and advance to the Round of 16.
According to the official ASB Classic news, the battle at the Manuka Doctor Arena lasted two hours and 40 minutes, concluding late into the Auckland night.
The match began with Eala asserting dominance, racing to a 3-0 lead in the opening set.
However, the experienced Vekić, a former world No. 17, demonstrated her veteran poise by winning six of the next seven games to take the first set.
Undeterred by the first-set collapse, Eala recovered in the second. The young lefty stabilized her service game and capitalized on Vekić’s struggles, which included nine double faults throughout the match.
After forcing a deciding third set, the momentum swung back and forth until the score was knotted at 3-3. Eala then found another gear, breaking Vekić twice in the final stages to seal the win.
‘Home is the people’
The ASB Classic Media described the atmosphere in Auckland as “electric,” fueled by a large and vocal contingent of the local Filipino community. The crowd’s support was so intense that it reportedly rattled Vekić at various points in the final set.
In her post-match interview, an emotional Eala credited the fans for her second-half surge:
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in 2025, it’s that home is the people and not the place,” Eala said. “It’s so amazing just to have all these people show up. It definitely adds to the tension, the atmosphere and obviously the emotions after the match. So I’m grateful, I’m grateful that they took time out of their day to watch and support.”
The victory follows a high-profile doubles win on Monday, where Eala and American partner Iva Jovic defeated tennis legends Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina.
Eala now moves on to the second round of the singles draw, where she is scheduled to face another Croatian, Petra Marcinko. Marcinko, ranked No. 82, advanced after her own 6-4, 0-6, 7-6 victory over Camila Osorio. / LBG