Alex Eala remains grateful despite her early exit in the Madrid Open last Thursday.

Eala said she believes that she earned the respect of her peers after pushing world No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland to the limit before bowing in their Round of 64 encounter in the women’s singles event.

“Wow — what an experience playing in this year’s Madrid Open, especially on Pista Manolo Santana. It’s such a privilege to bring out my competitive side and perform at a high level on these iconic courts,” Eala, the world No. 72, said.

“Sometime ago, my dad told me, ‘If you want to be a lion, you have to live in the den.’ I’ve earned my place in the den — and, I like to think, I’m a lion in the making.”

Although she has yet to replicate the successful run she did in the Miami Open last March, where she made it as far as the semifinal, Eala still has a lot of opportunities to improve.

First, she could opt to stay in Spain and compete in the Catalonia Open at the Vic Tennis Club that starts on Monday, 28 April.

Then, there is the Italian Open from 6 to 18 May as Eala is expected to not only meet Swiatek but also other Grand Slam champions like Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, Madison Keys of the United States, and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

But Eala’s biggest tournament of the year would be the French Open at the Roland Garros Stadium on 25 May, where she is set to make her main draw debut.

Eala knows she has to adjust her style of game to keep up with the top players in the world.