Alex Eala expressed her appreciation for her fans and how she has been welcomed in Austria after winning on her debut at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz.

In her first clay-court match of 2026, Eala overcame world No 89 Julia Grabher 6-4, 6-3 in the opening round in Linz on Tuesday.

The world No 46 lost her serve just once as she saved nine of the 10 break points she faced, while she broke her 29-year-old Austrian opponent three times.

In her on-court interview, Eala was asked what made the difference in the match.

“I think I kept the intensity well throughout the match,” said the 20-year-old Filipina.

“She’s a very intense player and has really good shots, so I’m really happy with the win.”

Eala then said “it means so much” to be supported by Filipino fans in Linz before addressing her compatriots in Tagalog — a language used in the Philippines.

WTA Tour News

Alex Eala starts rankings fightback as she eyes up an important breakthrough

Alex Eala reveals impact of Toni Nadal coaching with ‘lost my mind’ confession

Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.

Asked if she was enjoying her time in Linz, Eala said: “I think it’s amazing.

“I’m really happy with how they’ve welcomed me, and welcomed the Filipinos. I guess we match really well, because there are a lot of them (Filipins) here.

“I’m really thankful for the hospitality. I hope to discover your culture more and have some fun on the court.”

The Linz Open, which was first held in 1987, moved from indoor hard-court to indoor clay for this year’s edition.

Speaking before her opening match, Eala spoke about playing the Austrian tournament for the first time.

“This tournament has a really long history, so I’m super excited to be here. It’s obviously a great tournament, a 500-level event on clay,” said Eala.

“I think this will be my first 500 on clay, which says a lot about my improvement from last year. I just have to take it in stride, and I’m excited.

“They’re a little bit different from a normal clay court because they’re built quickly and meant to be taken out fast too. But it’s nothing major.

“It’s a very beautiful court and a very beautiful stadium.”

Eala will play fourth seed and world No 23 Jelena Ostapenko in the second round in Linz on Wednesday.

READ NEXT: Alex Eala gets honest clay verdict and top 20 ranking message from former world No 4