Alex Eala enters another round of competitions knowing that she can keep up with the world’s best tennis players after all.
Alex Eala could barely contain her smile all the way from Mallorca, Spain when asked about her continued ascent in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings.
Weeks after cracking the WTA’s Top 75 following her historic Miami Open campaign, the 19-year-old once again improved by two spots to become the world no. 73 in the current rankings.
“It sounds amazing. At this level, every spot forward counts, so I’m super blessed to be in this position, and I never expected i,t maybe a month ago that I would be here right now. So surprised, but in a good way, and motivated definitely,” Eala said on Tuesday in a virtual press conference organized by BPI and Globe.
The 19-year-old is two weeks removed from her Miami Open campaign, where she took down giants in world no. 25 Jelena Ostapenko and world no. 2 Iga Swiatek before putting up a valiant stand against world no. 3 Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.
Understandably, the emotions have yet to sink in for the Filipina star, who was a wildcard entry in her giant-slaying run.
“It’s a bit hard to swallow kasi nga they’re such big wins, but I’m super proud and I’m proud of myself. Just to be able to say that I’m in the top 100, top 75. To be able to say that I have top 5 wins is very surreal to me,” she reflected.
“And as I said, that mentality for the next match doesn’t just go on during the tournament. As I said, the work isn’t done and I have goals to look forward to and tournaments to look forward to.”
Alex Eala is now expected to continue her breakthrough on the clay courts, starting with a WTA 125 tournament in the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal this April 14, followed by the Madrid Open this April 21.
Eala will also be part of the main draw in the French Open this May 25, marking another historic milestone in her budding career at the professional level.
“I am excited for the Grand Slams ahead. Roland Garros, I know that I will be in the main draw. So I’m very excited that it’s my first time to be in the main draw. So it’s a new experience and everything to gain,” she said.
The Filipina, though, knows that a tougher road awaits this time around. Unlike her previous tournaments, Eala is now a marked woman in the eyes of her opponents, which will require her to double or even triple her growth as a player.
There will be more challenges to conquer, sure, but if her recent form is any indicator, it’s that Alex Eala is more than up to conquering these added hurdles.
“I think I have a good standard, there’s a new standard for me, and one of the obstacles is learning how to manage that. Because it’s not going to be every week that I’m going to play incredible, that I’m going to feel the ball all the time. So I think time will tell, and all I can do for now is to prepare,” she said.
And as early as now, Eala knows what facets of her game will need work in order to keep up with higher-level competition, sharing: “I definitely think that my serves [need work], the starts of the point need work, and also my fitness and overall shape of my body.”
“It was a heavy load [in Miami] and I was able to push through and maintain a high level until the end,” Eala explained. “But the next step is to be able to repeat this, and for my body to handle this kind of intensity repetitively.”
Not only that, but her Miami run has also taught her a valuable lesson: that even the best players aren’t exactly unbeatable.
“For me, the biggest learning is that even the top players have weaknesses and they’re not perfect. Of course, when you see that they’ve won so many things, and of course, it can depend on what kind of moment they’re in in their career,” Eala said.
“But there’s always a way, there’s always a point to push. And if I believe in myself, then I know that I’m able to push those points.”