Alex Eala may have bombed out of the Canadian Open, but she left Toronto with something far more valuable than another win on her growing résumé — memories, lessons and the belief that she belongs among the world’s best.

The 21-year-old Eala saw her impressive campaign come to an end following a 4-6, 0-6 loss to world No. 14 Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the Round of 16 at Sobeys Stadium on Monday, snapping her seven-game winning streak that dated back to the Washington Open in the United States.

After three weeks of grueling tennis, Eala’s first priority is a well-deserved break from competition.

“I definitely will take maybe two days off, a day or two. I do have to travel to Cincinnati. I need to get a haircut. I haven’t gotten a haircut in a while. My nails are grown out,” Eala said with a chuckle during a post-match press conference.

“I’ll do a couple things, just to get my mind off tennis. I think Toronto’s a great place to do that.”

Despite the straight-set defeat that lasted 73 minutes, Eala refused to let the result overshadow what had been a memorable Canadian Open debut.

She started with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 victory over world No. 71 Alycia Parks of the United States before defeating American Caty McNally, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in the Round of 32.

“Overall, a really good week. I am super happy with the run that I’ve had,” Eala said.

“I’m going to try to recover and come back out hot.”

Eala’s stay in Toronto may have been brief, but she certainly left her mark as Filipino fans packed the stands throughout her run.

Even concession stands outside Center Court were selling Filipino favorites such as chicken adobo with rice and lumpia, further highlighting the massive support Eala received.

But the Filipina star refused to take all the credit, instead pointing to the Filipino community’s passion and pride.

“I am kind of just like a drop in the ocean, you know, when it comes to Filipinos and their pride for their culture and where they come from. Me, I do a lot to kind of represent my country, and I’m very proud of it,” Eala said.

“But you see, I mean, the stadium was full of people who do the same thing, right? I guess that just shows you what kind of a community we are, and what kind of a people we are, and how supportive we are of each other.”

Eala leaves the Canadian Open with $81,800 — or roughly P4.9 million — for reaching the Last 16 of this prestigious WTA 1000 event.

She will also share $15,800 or around P959,000 with seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams after their first-round run in the women’s doubles.

Eala will now return to the United States for the Cincinnati Open, another WTA 1000 event, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, with the main draw set to begin on 15 August.

Her lofty No. 20 ranking assures her of a first-round bye, giving her additional time to recover before embarking on another demanding chapter of her North American swing.

After Cincinnati, Eala will turn her attention to the US Open in New York City, which begins on 30 August.