Former world No 7 Danielle Collins has revealed what she “loves” about Alex Eala as she said there is “something really special” about the rising star.

Eala has captivated the tennis world in the last fortnight by amassing a seven-match winning streak across Washington DC and the Canadian Open.

The Filipina defeated Zheng Qinwen, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula during a stellar run to the Washington Open title.

By claiming her first WTA Tour title, Eala made history by becoming the first player from the Philippines to ever win a tour-level event.

The 21-year-old has backed up her big breakthrough with back-to-back straight-set wins over Alycia Parks and Caty McNally at the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto this week.

During a discussion on Tennis Channel Live, Collins was asked what she is learning about Eala every time she steps on the court.

“I just love how comfortable she is in her own skin. I love how genuinely kind she is,” said the 32-year-old American, who was a runner-up at the 2022 Australian Open.

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“For me, somebody that’s so fierce and so ferocious, I love seeing someone that’s a little different, and a little bit… she’s so ferocious when she’s playing on court, but then I just love the soft side of her as well. I really admire that.

“I love how she wears her heart on her sleeve, and the way she speaks about her fans, I think is so genuine, and the way she connects with everyone.

“Yeah, there’s just something really special about her.”

Steve Johnson, a former world No 21 on the ATP Tour, hailed the way Eala is handling the challenges that come with her staggering popularity.

“It’s amazing to see what she’s doing at such a young age, and to have command of her own emotions, the crowd, everything that comes with it,” said Johnson.

“They’re moving her matches to Centre Court, she can’t play on the smaller courts anymore — that’s a lot to take on as a young individual.

“But she’s doing it quite gracefully and it’s really impressive to watch.”

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