Alex Eala took a very casual route in asking world no. 3 Coco Gauff to be her women’s doubles partner at the 2025 Italian Open.
Some of the best partnerships begin in the most peculiar of ways, as is the case for Philippine tennis phenom Alex Eala and WTA World No. 3 Coco Gauff as they emerged in a new-found collaboration in women’s doubles at the Italian Open in Rome.
Eala, 19, was said to have reached out to Gauff through social media and made the first step to what has been a successful partnership so far, reaching the Round of 16.
In a conversation with Aussie tennis publication The First Serve, Gauff spoke about how the Filipina teen approached her with the idea of playing together in doubles during Eala’s first-ever foray into the Italian Open.
“She slid in my DMs and asked me to play. And I was like, sure. Why not?” Gauff quipped.
Gauff spoke highly about Eala, who in her junior years was able to win Grand Slams in the Australian Open and the French Open. Though now shifting her focus to singles, the American believed that the experience was more than helpful.
“I was just hoping she would be nice, and you know, and obviously she’s such a nice person. And obviously, she’s a killer in doubles, two junior slams and probably future ones too,” said Gauff.
“I’m super happy to play with her.”
As for previous interactions, Gauff can only really recall one encounter with Eala, during the Madrid Open where the American was able to reach the final before falling to Aryna Sabalenka.
“We really didn’t know each other, honestly, before in Mardid, I said hi to her for the first time,” she shared.
Apart from her doubles partnership with Eala in Rome, Gauff is currently also competing in singles where she meets Emma Raducanu in the Round of 16 on Monday.
[RELATED: Alex Eala, Coco Gauff triumphant in doubles opener at Italian Open]
Gauff and Eala are expected to continue on their doubles journey on Tuesday, Manila time.
They face off against home duo and Wild Card entrant Tyra Caterina Grant and Lisa Pigato.
Eala, for her part, stumbled out in the first round with a stinging 6-0, 6-1 loss against Marta Kostyuk.
The 19-year-old is expected to make her impending Grand Slam debut at the French Open later this month after her stint in Rome.