BECAUSE of her strong showing, expectations soared for Alex Eala.
The reception was electric, as she carved even more moments into the history books of Philippine tennis.
But for the 20-year-old Filipino, it’s still about the Quezon City-born kid who took a leap at 13 - leaving home to chase a dream that felt far from possible in her own country.
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Looking back on her Wimbledon debut, where she exited in the first round, but pushed reigning champion Barbora Krejcikova to three sets at the Centre Court of a Grand Slam, Eala realized she was exactly where she needed to be.
READ: Alex Eala fades after fiery start, loses to reigning champ Krejcikova
In her first post after the loss, the current world No. 56 shared a heartfelt reflection.
“Realized something funny yesterday – when you’re living your dream, it doesn’t feel real," she said.
Eala continued: “Yesterday, I was living my dream.”
Then she chose to look at the silver lining of the situation, where even her opponent was impressed by her performance.
As she put it, “Couldn’t have asked for a better debut. That match was special in more ways than one – to be able to fulfill a childhood dream and be part of something bigger than myself, history for my country.”
READ: Next-gen Alex Eala 'will be really good in coming years,' says champ
Eala then credited Krejcikova and gave a small preview of what’s next: her women’s doubles campaign at Wimbledon alongside partner Eva Lys.
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