Indian Wells gets blockbuster third round WTA match
· Yahoo Sports
It almost did not happen, and we can only imagine that Indian Wellstennis gods were hoping for it as soon as the draw was announced. The third round match between Coco Gauff and Alex Eala is officially a go.
Eala, seeded for the first time in her career at the BNP Paribas Open, won a nail biting three setter late Friday night to set up the clash. Alex Eala has risen in the rankings since her miraculous Miami Open run last year where she defeated three Grand Slam champions, Madison Keys, Iga Swiatek, and Jelena Ostapenko en route to the semifinals.
Visit fishroad-app.com for more information.
Because Eala is putting tennis on the map for the Philippines and because many Filipinos reside in California, it is almost a home tournament for her. Legions of fans follow her to tournaments around the world, but the stadium was especially loud on Friday night with fans carrying Philippines flags seen from every angle.
ALEX EALA ADVANCES TO THE NEXT ROUND OF THE INDIAN WELLS MASTERS AFTER OUTLASTING DAYANA YASTREMSKA, 7-5, 4-6, 7-5!
— Torey Canino (@tj_canino) March 7, 2026
WHAT A MATCHHHHH!!! pic.twitter.com/vZPpmY5saw
Coco Gauff is playing a home tournament at Indian Wells, but will she get the most crowd support?
Eala’s nearly home tournament status will test perennial American favorite Coco Gauff. Some wonder if the Filipino fans will be louder than the Americans.
Gauff got into a little unjust hot water recently for speaking out about how spirited other country’s tennis fans are and implying the Americans are not like that partly because of all the sports at their disposal to cheer for.
lol I ‘m going to clarify because people are dragging this out of context. I ‘m not expecting people to travel to tournaments to watch us play. But there are many tournaments that we have in america and abroad where americans are already attending regardless of who is playing… https://t.co/AqutxKTZYy
— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) January 5, 2026
MORE: Elena Rybakina manages awkward Eisenhower Cup award presentation
In Dubai, Coco Gauff enjoyed a resounding 6-0, 6-2 win over Eala. Eala had a lot of fan support.
Coco Gauff after beating Alex Eala to reach Dubai SF:
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 19, 2026
“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” pic.twitter.com/Aw0kpf9ny9
Eala, 20, is a spirited player and great athlete, but her skills are not yet at the 21-year-old Gauff’s level. Gauff’s problems on court tend to focus on her serve, so if that is not on point, Eala could defeat the fourth Grand Slam champion in her career.
Watch Coco Gauff face Alex Eala at the BNP Paribas Open on the Tennis Channel on Sunday, March 8 at a time yet to be determined.
Coco Gauff reacts to her own serving erros in her round 2 win over Kamilla Rakhimova at the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, Calif., March 6, 2026.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —
NFL: 5 most overrated NFL free agents hitting the market in 2026
SPORTS MEDIA: Stephen A. Smith bashes underwhelming NBA star as ‘food addict’
VIRAL: NBC delivers epic nostalgia with ‘Throwback Tuesday’ NBA broadcast
WORLD CUP: Will Iran compete in the 2026 World Cup? Donald Trump weighs in
WNBA: Players, union leaders divided, claims letter from 2-time MVP and 4-time All-Star
The post Indian Wells gets blockbuster third round WTA match appeared first on The Big Lead.