Alex Eala often has the weight of the Philippines' expectations on her shoulders each and every time she steps onto the court.
Alex Eala is enjoying quite the support and adoration of Filipino tennis fans around the world, evidenced by her massive audience impact on the WTA Tour.
Still, that massive fanbase has been a double-edged sword for the 20-year-old rising star.
While the craze surrounding her success paved the way for many good things, including heightened attention from tournament organizers, it has also brought unnecessary pressure and expectations.
Fame has given Eala a mixed bag – from adoring cheers to snark criticism and claims of being “overhyped."
Alex doesn’t mind, though, as she chooses to look at the positive side of things.
“I would say [it’s] more [a feeling of] pride,” Eala said on an episode of the Australian Open’s The Sit-down.
“I think it depends how you look at it. And I try to take it in with as much gratitude as I possibly can, because I know not a lot of players are able to have this platform.”
Since her meteoric rise in the rankings after a dream semifinals run at the Miami Open last year, Eala has been on a steady uptick as she start to stack up career highlights.
[RELATED: Alex Eala reflects on milestone Miami Open run ahead of 2026 return]
And more success means more eyes on her every move.
As she acknowledges the mental challenges of dealing with pressure, most of it does fade away when Eala steps on the court.
“You know, it's a blessing to have this support behind me. So yeah, I won't say that it comes without any pressure at all. But what I do is I just try to focus on what I need to do on court, you know, how I can work to the best of my ability,” she said.
“I know that I'll perform to the best that I can,” Eala continued.
A country’s pride
Eala’s case does differ with most elite-level athletes on the WTA Tour.
That is, unlike most of her contemporaries, Eala stands alone as the only player to compete under the Philippine flag.
Arguably the greatest tennis talent from her motherland, Alex often carries the weight of the entire Philippines on her shoulders for every match she plays.
While it does come with extra baggage, the Filipina takes pride in being able give her country honor, like winning a SEA Games gold medal and helping bring a first WTA tournament in Manila.
“It's so nice to know that I'm doing what I can for the sport because tennis has given me so much. So all that I can do to give back to tennis, I'll do the best that I can,” she said.
Eala further extended her reflection into representing the region.
Eala was one of four Southeast Asian players in the main draw of the Australian Open, which was a first in history.
She joined Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee and Mananchaya Sawangkaew, as well as Indonesia’s Janice Tjen.
“It's such a great time for women's sports in our region and tennis, women's tennis. So I'm so happy to be a part of that,” she said.
[RELATED: Thai aces happy to see Southeast Asia make mark in tennis]
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.