Alexandra Eala has had a whirlwind first year on the WTA Tour, but is now more than established at the pinnacle of the sport.
The expectation is that now the newness has worn off, this talented 20-year-old will kick on and start producing consistently impressive results.
Already, she has amassed a fanbase to rival anyone within the sport, and it would take something legendary to possibly reach the level of success needed to match their support.
However, looking back on her first full 12 months around the apex of the sport, Alexandra Eala was unsurprisingly positive as she looked ahead to the future.
Alexandra Eala reviews her first full year on the WTA Tour
Speaking to Iguales in a recent interview, she began by claiming: “It’s been really amazing.”
It has not been all positive though, as she added: Of course, there have been lots of lessons, lots of ups and downs, but I’ve hit one year of playing fully on the WTA Tour since Miami last year.
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“I’m really, really happy with what I’ve been able to achieve and with the work ethic of my team and our dynamic.”
Eala concluded by issuing some advice to herself, admitting: “One thing I try to keep in mind is that when things are going bad or when you’re losing, it’s not as bad as it seems. And when things are going well, it’s also not as good as it seems.”
Eala was recently told what she must improve to win a Grand Slam title, although she seems self-aware enough to realise that, whilst she might be far away now, she boasts the raw potential to one day achieve the unthinkable.
The highlights from the last year of Alexandra Eala’s career
Eala may have only been around the apex of the WTA Tour for a short while, but she has already left a huge impact, mainly due to her incredible record-breaking fanbase.
In Australia earlier this year, she shut the first Grand Slam of the year down as hordes of fans were turned away from the jam-packed Court 6, and beat out stars like Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz for views on her press conferences.
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However, it was what she accomplished on the court that truly captured the attention and drew such massive support in the first place.
This all started at the Miami Open, where she stunned three former Grand Slam winners on her way to the semi-finals.
Since then, she has reached the final of a WTA 250-level event, squandering match points in the final at Eastbourne.
Eala has since become the first Filipina player to win a main draw Grand Slam match, and remains the highest-ranked Filipino player in tennis history.
