Alexandra Eala says she is representing a minority on the Tour as she continues her rise in tennis at the Washington Open.
The 21-year-old Filipino has already achieved a series of firsts for her country in tennis. She has already become the first to break into the top 30, win a WTA title and reach the fourth round of Wimbledon in the Open Era. Currently ranked 28th in the world, she has already beaten five different top 10 players on the Tour since January.
“I think with the platform that I have, it’s important for me to be aware of the impact that I hold,” Eala told The Tennis Channel.
“I learned through bits and pieces of what people and the fans themselves tell me. And I understand that I represent a lot. I represent a minority.”
Eala is the only player from the Philippines to have a singles ranking on the WTA Tour. There are four on the ATP Tour, but none of them is in the top 1300. She has an Instagram following of more than 1.6M and is known for having an army of fans supporting her wherever she goes. In July, Eala was awarded a Presidential Citation for her Wimbledon run. The honour is a ‘distinct recognition awarded for extraordinary service or gallantry by the Philippine government.’
“I’m the first Filipina to kind of make it at this stage in tennis, and that doesn’t just go for the Philippines necessarily, but maybe another nationality or another little girl who maybe didn’t see a pathway before that,” she continued.
“I’m really grateful for everyone who supports me. They’re the reason I have this platform at the end of the day. It just adds to how meaningful my job is to me.”
Being in the media spotlight will inevitably create more pressure for Eala to perform well. However, she believes this demand is no greater than her own personal objectives.
“I’m a competitive athlete, so there’s pressure,” she explained.
“I think the obligation also comes to myself. I’m a very self-demanding person. I’m a very ambitious person.
“I know that this is my journey first and foremost and I have the expectations I have of myself.”
In Washington, Eala has already beaten Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng and defending champion Leylah Fernandez. In the quarter-finals, she will play either second seed Elina Svitolina or qualifier Polina Kudermetova.
