Alex Eala may have lost a dramatic US Open third-round match against American teen Iva Jovic on Saturday, but the Filipina sensation has earned a new admirer in two-time Grand Slam winner Coco Gauff.
Eala, 21, lost the gruelling three-set battle 5-7, 6-3, 5-7 to the 18-year-old Jovic at Arthur Ashe Stadium, one of the most iconic sporting venues, which was named after Arthur Ashe, the first African American male to win Grand Slam singles titles.
Gauff, an African American youth icon, acknowledged the incredible impact Eala had made on the sport, having emerged from the Philippines, a country with no history of producing elite tennis players.
The 22-year-old American also compared Eala to legendary Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao for being a great ambassador for the Southeast Asian country.
“She’s the first Filipino player to break a lot of barriers, especially on the women’s side. And when you speak of athletes from the Philippines, she’s doing similar things to what Manny Pacquiao has done for her country,” Gauff said after setting up a round of 16 clash with Jovic.
The meteoric rise of Eala, according to Gauff, is truly incredible also because the world number 18 also has to deal with public expectations as a new national icon, with her matches bringing thousands of Filipino fans to stadiums around the world.
“I’m lucky to be from the US, where we’ve had a lot of icons to look up to and people who have already broken down doors for me to be where I am,” Gauff said. “So I can’t really emphasise that aspect. I think the only way I can relate is maybe the hype of everybody expecting you to win every single match. I guess I can emphasise that standpoint, but I definitely think she probably has more pressure. From the outside looking in, she has more pressure.”
Gauff, one of Eala’s doubles partners, says she is getting to know the person behind the Filipino phenomenon.
“As far as our relationship, Alex and I are friends. Her family just reminds me so much of mine. She has a brother, and both her parents are usually with her at tournaments. She’s just such a cool, nice girl and someone I would like to get to know even more,” the world number four said.
“We just went for dinner for the first time, actually, in Toronto, and I got to know her a little bit more then. Obviously, we’ve played doubles together. But I have a lot of respect for her and what she’s doing.”
Source: Khaleej Times