Coco Gauff suggests why Alex Eala’s fans treated her differently from other players in Dubai

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Coco Gauff wasted no time booking her place in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

In a first career meeting with crowd favourite Alexandra Eala, Gauff cruised to victory, winning in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2.

The American was dominant in her triumph over the Filipina star, conceding just one break of serve and sealing the victory in an hour and seven minutes.

Eala has a huge fan base on the WTA Tour, and her support in Dubai has been as rapturous as anywhere throughout the WTA 1000 tournament.

Following the match, Gauff suggested the 20-year-old’s fans were slightly more fair with her compared to other stars.

Coco Gauff discusses Alex Eala’s fans at the Dubai Tennis Championships

In her post-match press conference, Gauff said of the crowd: “Honestly, I feel like they were a bit nicer to me today than maybe other players.

“I don’t know if it’s because we played doubles before or maybe because of the scoreline.

“I think in the previous matches I saw they were more cheering in between serves. I don’t know. They didn’t do that much today.

“I’ll take it. I appreciate the silent support. I think that was the difference (smiling).

“No, I think when I played [Lois] Boisson at [the] French Open, I think that prepped me. Then, Jasmine [Paolini] in Rome, I think, was the worst I’ve experienced with the crowd. So I’ve had those experiences. I think it helped me today.”

Coco Gauff says she was fully focused from the start of the match

When asked if she was fully focused from the beginning, Gauff said: “Yeah, definitely. I think that was the main thing, just to focus on my side of the game, know she’s going to hit some great shots. I knew the crowd would be with her.

Alexandra Eala will finish 2026 ranked — in the world

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“Yeah, I mean, it was pretty solid. She missed a couple [of] close shots. I feel like if they would have went in, it maybe could have been a different scoreline. Overall, that’s tennis.

“Yeah, I’ll learn from today, how to do better if we play again soon.”

Gauff is one of three Americans left at the Dubai Tennis Championships, with compatriots Amanda Anisimova and Jessica Pegula set to face each other in the semifinals.