Alex Eala looks at bright side despite opening-round losses in Australian Open

MANILA, Philippines – In her Australian Open debut, Alex Eala showed she is no longer just a rising star but a marquee draw, commanding the spotlight even in heartbreaking early-round losses.

Eala capped her first-ever Australian Open main draw appearance after bowing out in the doubles event alongside Brazilian partner Ingrid Martins after a 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 defeat to Japan’s Shuko Aoyama and Poland’s Magda Linette on Tuesday, January 20.

This comes after her gutsy stand in the singles that ended in a 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss to American Alycia Parks the day prior.

“It’s only normal that with a loss comes disappointment and being upset,” she said. “But then again, it’s another opportunity for me to take and learn and grow as a player.”

Eala and her Martins failed to preserve an early 4-0 lead in the first set, succumbing in the final few games as Aoyama and Linette stole the lead.

They pulled level by taking the second set before a back-and-forth third set proved fatal in the Filipina’s Australian Open run.

Trailing 3-4, Eala and Martins faded as Aoyama and Linette took over from there, silencing the Filipina’s fiery Melbourne run that had been powered by a massive Filipino crowd.

“It was so heartwarming, and I think that’s one of the things that makes a loss like today a little bit harder is that I know a lot of people were rooting for me,” Eala said after her loss to Parks.

“I just hope that this support continues with the losses along with the wins. I think that would really touch me. But then again, just the fact that everyone came out and really squeezed into that cozy court — I really appreciated it,” she added.

Eala’s run was fueled by deafening cheers — a rarity in tennis — loud enough to draw warnings from tournament officials mid-match.

During Eala’s singles opener, fans who were not able to enter the bleachers settled outside the court to watch her match unfold on the big screens. Her practices before the tournament were also packed.

The 20-year-old sensation admitted it got a little overwhelming at times.

“I think this week was definitely…there were elements that were a bit overwhelming, especially during my practices,” she said. “I didn’t expect that many people to be there. So, it’s a learning process — like everything is part of the learning process. The trainings are part of a learning process. So, I’m just trying to take it in. I’m still young, 20, so I’m learning how to deal with all of this attention, but then, at the same time, being grateful.”

Now that her Grand Slam run has ended, Eala is expected to fly back to Manila to compete in the Philippine Women’s Open, the country’s first-ever WTA 125 event to be held from January 26 to 31 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, as a wildcard.

The tournament will also see some of the top tennis players in the country, along with world-ranked athletes.

“I’m happy that it’s finally coming together. It’s really happening. It’s a dream to have a home tournament, and just the WTA stage in general, I think it’s a huge step for tennis in the Philippines and women’s tennis,” she said. “I’m so happy that it’ll bring a lot of inspiration and a lot of motivation for the girls back home.” – Rappler.com