The eyes of the tennis world have fallen on Alex Eala over the last few months and she headed into the US Open being hailed as the biggest star in women’s tennis.
The Filipina hero has shot to prominence over the last 18 months after rising through the tennis rankings and attracting a huge fan base in the process.
Social media posts mentioning Eala have attracted huge interactions and her posts on the official US Open YouTube and Instagram accounts have been by far the most viewed of the tournament so far.
The attention around Eala will inevitably fuel expectations around her, but the presence of Toni Nadal in her camp in New York will had some much-needed experience.
The uncle of 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal oversaw a host of Grand Slam wins for his nephew and he has been part of Eala’s development as she trains at the Nadal Academy in Mallorca.
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Nadal may be a high-profile presence in Eala’s team, but her primary coach is still Joan Bosch, who has worked with her at the Mallorca Academy.
He previously coached former world number one and Grand Slam champion Carlos Moya and has a vast depth of experience working with top players.
“Joan, who’s here with me, is my confidant,” said Eala. “I trust him a lot, as well as my team who’s back home.”
Bosch will be comfortable with Toni Nadal giving his input to the Eala camp, as he is one of the bosses at the Mallorca Academy and he can offer real insight into the demands and pressures of working at the top of the sport from his time with his nephew.
Toni is known to be a straight talker and former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski has insisted he can be a positive presence in Eala’s camp.
“Well, I think he’ll be direct and that’s what everybody respects,” declared Rusedski.
“I think, you know, he’s probably spent time with him at the Academy, so they’ve already built up a good working relationship. She’s been there for many, many years.
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“I think honesty, transparency, and also making sure you don’t talk about things publicly. So that’s why Toni has not spoken about this. What’s the benefit for me talking in the media? It doesn’t really help me.
“You’ve got to always double-check it with the player before you say anything because you’ve got to keep them on side. And it doesn’t always help you as a coach sometimes to talk in the media as well.
“Having a guy who has won so many majors with his nephew in your team can only be good news for Eala.”
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