Eala: Being tired is a blessing

Alex Eala is taking pride in a demanding season that has lifted her to a career-high world No. 17, saying the fatigue that comes with a long campaign is a sign of how far she has come.

The 21-year-old Filipina said she was grateful for a year that has exceeded her expectations with more opportunities to compete against the best players.

“My year has been amazing! It’s been incredible. I don’t want to get too into it yet; I feel like if I get too into it, I will become quite emotional because of the year I’ve had,” said Eala, who was facing world No. 85 Tereza Valentova of the Czech Republic in the Round of 16 of the Hong Kong Tennis Open at press time.

“But you know, I’m still in the tournament, and I’m still motivated to go as far as I can here. My year has been absolutely just incredible. I’m so grateful for everything I’ve been through.”

Eala also brushed aside suggestions that she has looked tired lately, pointing to her new career-high ranking as proof that she remains in a strong position.

“I guess maybe that’s the opinion of some, like you said. But I hit my career high this week, guys! If I’m tired and 17 in the world, that’s great,” the Filipina said.

“Being tired is a blessing as well. Being tired means that I’ve been working hard, having lots of matches, competing a lot, and healthy enough to work, and in a healthy mindset to put myself in these situations of pressure.”

Eala’s efforts in 2026 have brought significant milestones, including victories over top-10 players like world No. 1 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, world No. 5 Jessica Pegula and world No. 4 Coco Gauff of the United States and world No. 6 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.

She captured the Birmingham Open in June for her first grass-court title, defeating world No. 29 Nikola Bartunkova in the final for her second WTA title.

Eala also became the first Filipino tennis player to reach the Wimbledon Round of 16 and advanced to the third round of the US Open.

Her biggest breakthrough came at the Washington Open in August, where she claimed her maiden WTA title after beating Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, defending champion Leylah Fernandez, Svitolina, four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka and world No. 3 Jessica Pegula.

Despite her breakthrough season, Eala said she still has areas to improve as she seeks greater consistency.

“Definitely, it's part of the improvement process. Having a good net game is a useful aspect of tennis,” she said.

“As my level rises, it's something I'm continuing to develop. I still have room for improvement, although it's been very useful this year, as you said. There's still a bit more I want to do with it.”

After the Hong Kong Tennis Open, Eala will take a break before facing world No. 75 Janice Tjen of Indonesia in an exhibition match on 8 December at the Philippine Arena.