ALEX Eala is well aware of the criticism thrown her way following her run of poor form both in WTA tournaments and the Asian Games.
And she heard all of it, from pundits believing that other obligations that came with a meteoric rise in her popularity turning into distractions that keep her from playing her best tennis over the last month or so.
Through it all, the 21-year old isn't sweeping the problems under the rug, acknowledging the need to 'compartmentalize and prioritize' but at the same time staying upbeat as she sees this stint in Ningbo as a chance to atone.
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Since a historic run to the US Open round of 32 where she lost to Iva Jokic, Eala has lost three of her last five matches - all of these to lower-ranked opponents.
She lost to world No. 117 Tatiana Prozorova of Russia at the Singapore Open and to world No. 177 Shi Han in her Wuhan Open Open. Although she hurdled two matches as the top seed at the Asiad, she fell short of the gold medal after losing to world No. 81 Wang Xiyu in the semifinals.
Eala has since become an easy target for critics who sounded a need for her to focus more on tennis and less on her other interests outside the court - a touchy subject she addressed for the first time in Ningbo.
“I think when I’m able to focus on my work, especially on court that I’m able to compartmentalize and really prioritize what needs to be on top," she said in a press conference in Ningbo ahead of her debut.
The world No. 20, however, didn't sound worried, confident that time is on her side as she works her way to the top echelons of the sport.
She preached patience as she go through the learning curve.
"I think it adds to the motivation, for sure. And it’s a learning process," she said. "I’m thankful experiencing so many new things.
"So as I experience, of course I learn and try to be a better player, try to be a better person, and yeah, like I said, take it step by step."
Eala is facing an uphill climb in the WTA500 event with world No. 32 Diane Parry of France awaiting her in the first round on Monday evening. But she's not complaining, seeing how much has changed since the last time she was in Ningbo.
"Things have changed a bit since I was here the last time - for the better," said Eala, who failed to advance past the qualifying round at the Ningbo last year.
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