Alex Eala knows the expectations are high, but the Philippines’ top tennis seed is choosing to embrace the pressure as her Asian Games gold-medal campaign continues.
Eala advanced to the women’s singles semifinals Wednesday after defeating Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland, 7-5, 6-0, at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.
The victory assured the 21-year-old Filipina of at least a bronze medal, while keeping alive the Philippines’ bid for its first women’s tennis gold at the Asian Games.
With Filipino fans expecting a deep run from the world No. 18, Eala said she has learned to accept that pressure comes with competing at the highest level.
“When I’m on court, it’s me and the ball and the court. And at the end of the day, being a professional tennis player and a competitive tennis player, losing comes. You have to understand that losing is part of the job, and losing is always a possibility,” Alex said.
Eala added that the possibility of losing is also what pushes her to keep improving.
“I think that also contributes to my pursuit for excellence and my pursuit for the best version of myself.”
As the tournament’s top seed, Eala also acknowledged that opponents will bring added intensity when facing her.
“It’s a good problem to have. It’s kind of cool because I’ve been on both sides. I’ve been on the underdog side, and then more recently, I’ve been on more of the seeded side,” she said.
Eala will next face fourth seed Xiyu Wang of China in the semifinals, while she and Shaira Rivera remain in contention for a second medal in the women’s doubles.
Despite the demanding schedule between the WTA Tour and the Asian Games, Eala said she is taking the experience in stride.
“It’s something I have to adapt to, definitely. But the WTA Tour and the tennis tour in general is very rigorous. So it’s kind of part of my life to have quick turnarounds. And yeah, just try to plan, take it day by day, and prioritize health,” she added.
With a medal already secured, Eala now turns her attention to the next step in her pursuit of Asian Games gold. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
