HER biggest pro tourney yet may have been cut short after her Slovak foe held her off in her first qualifying match, but Alex Eala said that she gained more than she lost in the 2021 Miami Open.
Even if she just stayed a week at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida, USA (where top world players like Ash Barty, Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep, were playing), the 15-year-old took her notepad wherever she went.
"Being around these players, and seeing how well they work makes me want to work harder as well. I've been observing the past few days, there are a lot of things you can take away from being just a qualifying player or just hanging around with the top players," she said in a virtual press interview.
Alex only begun playing in the pro last year, and so far, she's competed in 12 tournaments, including a few $15,000s and $25,000s. She was also granted the wild card entry to the qualifying draw of the Miami Open — her grandest tourney yet.
Prior to the kickoff of the actual opening, she shared the court with WTA no. 16 Iga Swiatek of Poland. And she got to watch a couple of other world champs from inside the bubble, together with her dad.
"This is the biggest tournament I have ever played in my career. I don't think I can get these kinds of lessons anywhere else. It shows me that this is what I want to do, but, there's still a really long way to go," she said.
Alex now can use the experience to her advantage as she continues with her juniors journey. She still sits at World No. 3 in the girl's division, and is the reigning Australian Open Juniors Doubls champ.
"Professional players are very much consistent. They put in more balls, they hit harder, but it's more of how they're able to maintain the intesity, and being able to step up when they need to. [It's] during those moments when a junior may choke, they'll be able to step up and be better," she shared.
Eala continued: "Competing in a higher level will help me improve my overall game, help me work harder, and going back to juniors, it would be a way to standout. I'm leaving this tournament wanting to work harder and knowing what to work on."
The Filipina ace, who's currently ranked 736th, is set to try her luck in her first-ever $60,000 tournament which will take place in Switzerland. Earliert his eyar, she clinched her maiden pro title last January in the first leg of the W15 Manacor,
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