Santa Maria! Sharapova rallies behind Eala

Alex Eala’s rise toward the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Top 10 appears to be a matter of when, not if, after a breakout year that has drawn the attention of one of her childhood idols.

Former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova has thrown her support behind the 21-year-old Eala, who has emerged as one of the hottest young stars on the WTA Tour following her exploits this season.

Eala is currently resting in New York City after reaching the third round of the US Open, where she bowed to world No. 14 and American home bet Iva Jovic last week.

“I’m always rooting for Coco Gauff, Alex Eala, who’s had an incredible summer and I’m so excited about her future. Those two have come to mind,” Sharapova said in an interview with Popsugar.

Eala will return to action in Singapore, where she is set to compete in the Singapore Tennis Open, a WTA 500 event scheduled from 21 to 27 September at the OCBC Arena.

Philippine Tennis Association executive director Tonette Mendoza is equally bullish on Eala’s future, saying the Filipina could break into the Top 10 within the next year.

“I think she’ll be in the Top 10 by next year. Actually, we’re very positive that she’ll win a Grand Slam,” Mendoza told DAILY TRIBUNE.

“She doesn’t get tired and her conditioning is great. It allows her to hit hard all the time.”

Eala is poised to climb to a new career-high No. 16 in the WTA rankings despite skipping the China Open, a WTA 1000 event, to compete for the Philippines at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

Even without the ranking points from Beijing, Eala is expected to remain inside the Top 32, which would give her a first-round bye in the remaining WTA 1000 tournaments this season.

Her ranking also puts her in position to gain direct entry into next year’s Grand Slam main draws, giving her more opportunities to collect points and rise in rank.

For Eala, the key is continuing to learn from every setback as she adjusts to life among the world’s best.

“I do think that I’ve grown as a player since the last time that we played each other. And I definitely think that in this match, I had my chances, and I was able to set myself up for some opportunities, which was great,” Eala said.

“I learn about what affect my decisions have further down the line. And those themes stick with tennis, yes, but also in life.”