Eala trying hard not to crack

Alex Eala isn’t bothered with the mounting pressure from Filipino fans as she has had a great performance so far in her Italian Open campaign.

Eala, 20, said while she greatly appreciates the fans for supporting her, she draws inspiration from her family and friends as she tries her best not to succumb to pressure.

She is playing against world No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the Round of 32 at the Foro Italico in Rome as of press time.

“Yes, of course, I want to give back as much as they give to me. The obligation, first and foremost, is to myself. And it’s my journey,” Eala said.

“I am really super grateful that everyone, all of these supporters want to follow in that journey that I have, but I owe it to myself, first and foremost, and to my family and to my team, to give it everything that I have.”

Eala has been gaining a mass following since her amazing Miami Open run last year.

Whenever the Rafael Nadal Academy product competes, a huge Filipino crowd shows up to cheer her on.

Eala is flattered to be compared to Brazilian men’s tennis star Joao Fonseca, who is also drawing huge crowds in his matches.

“I’m flattered to be compared to him. I think he’s a great player, and he seems to be handling it (the pressure of expectation from fans) really well,” Eala said.

“But no, maybe that is something I should talk to him about.”

As for Rybakina, she made sure to be prepared for Eala so that she would have a response to their duel.

“We didn’t even practice before. Knowing that she’s a leftie, I will get someone who is a leftie to practice. I will definitely talk to the team (on) the tactic and fight for each point,” said Rybakina, who is also dealing with allergies in her Italian Open campaign.

“Now it’s getting better. We are trying with the team, we are adjusting all our practices. We need to really see day by day how I feel. Some days are better; some days are worse.”