THERE was a time when many players wish it was Alex Eala on the other side of the tennis court they are facing. The time when an inexperienced and nervous Eala would give them little problem as they march toward their next opponents. The time when Eala was just a statistic in their win column.
Well, those days are possibly gone.
The 21-year-old Filipino star has become a nemesis. She has perhaps become someone they would not wish to play early, or even late in the draw.
Her recent record showed seven wins in 11 matches against world top 10 opponents, including a win last month over Iga Swiatek, the defending Wimbledon champion, whom she ousted in the third round.
To be fair, she has more losses than wins in the current season. But her losses have become less frequent, the wins more in bunches. It can be said she is on the brink of a breakthrough, a defining tournament triumph that would put her on the doorstep of elite category.
Never say die, Alex
Her victories at the ongoing WTA 500 Mubadala DC Open make a case to her improved form.
She beat China’s Zheng Qinqwin in the opening round when she was a set down. She broke her at 4-5 to take the second set, and then imposed her will in the deciding set by racing to a 4-0 lead for the 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win.
In the second round Thursday , she trounced defending champion Leylah Fernandez, the half-Filipina Canadian, 6-2, 7-6 (1), after trailing 5-1 in the second set.
Both wins were revenge victories. Qingwin had taken out Eala in the semifinals of the Asian Games in 2023, while Fernandez ousted the Filipino in Stuttgart, Germany last April.
The wins showed Eala’s continuing development as a player, illustrating her mental strength and resilience to come back from adversity. It also showed a player who can remain focused and able to finish the task at hand.
READ: Self-belief continues to be Alex Eala's greatest weapon
Asked how she was able to comeback against Qingwin, Eala, whose best ranking is 28th in the world, credited her growing experience on tour. She said she has become more comfortable in dealing with challenges and adversities.
"I think I've already had that in me," Eala said. "I think it's definitely a mindset that you have. That being said, I think it's been trained or I've practiced. I've had more experience now to implement that mindset at the higher level.”
How far she can go remains to be seen. The Mubadala DC Open is not your run-of-the-mill tournament. It has attracted some of the best women’s players including world No. 3 Jessica Pegula and veterans Elena Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and Diana Shnaider, the top four seeds still competing in the event.
They are in Eala’s sights, and maybe, she too, is in theirs. But it is safe to say that when these favorites play her, the outcome will be more uncertain than before.
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