Alexandra Eala’s rising popularity comes with challenges, and one such is facing difficult questions. In a recent event, the rising Filipino sensation faced one such tricky question following her heroic fourth-round run at Wimbledon. However, she handled it calmly.

“I don’t think that’s true. And if someone is self-centered, I don’t think it’s because they are a tennis player”, said Eala during a BPI press conference. “I think maybe they’re just being self-centered because that’s who they are. It’s true that in tennis, to a certain point, when it comes to competition, you have to put yourself first, and you have to think of yourself.” Tennis is the most individual sport there is, with the player under constant pressure and scrutiny from fans, the media, and experts.

Unlike team sports, the burden of winning and losing in tennis falls solely on the player on the court, even though, outside the glare of the camera, the effort is collective. Every player has a dedicated entourage with them that caters to their physical and mental needs, helping them prepare to tackle the hectic tennis calendar. Eala too has a supportive team behind her, led by her coach, Joan Bosch. As a Rafael Nadal Academy Graduate, Eala also has the services of Alexandro Viane and Lluc Blaza, with Viane helping the Filipino player during pre-season training and Blaza serving as her medical fitness coach.

Despite the sport being individualistic, a well-functioning team is essential for a player to win titles on the court, and Eala’s got a strong team behind her. She shares a close bond with her coach, as evidenced by the time she and the Wimbledon crowd sang happy birthday to Bosch after one of her matches at SW19. Therefore, the charge of being self-centered does not carry any negative connotation for Eala.

In fact, as tennis coach Patrick Moratoglou says, being self-centered is okay for a tennis player, as they have to cater to their personal needs to be in the best possible condition for their matches. However, as far as Moratoglou is concerned, things go haywire when players become selfish and fail to treat their team professionally.

Given her recent grass-court victories, one could argue that Eala’s team is working well, as the Filipino player looks to build on her Wimbledon success.

Alexandra Eala Aims for Gradual Progress in Future Events

Eala’s Wimbledon run has raised the expectations for the Filipino player, especially in her home country. However, she is keeping her feet on the ground as she aims to gradually improve her results rather than winning big titles immediately. In the BPI interview, the Filipino player talked about her approach to a specific event.

“The way I approach tournaments is kind of match by match, round by round.  I do want to get as far as I possibly can. Of course, the ultimate goal is to win, right? But I take it round by round, yeah”. said Eala in her interview. The Wimbledon result stands out for Eala, as she had previously won only one main-draw match at Grand Slams. Coming into SW19 this year, the Filipino player had gradually shown that she could play on the surface, by winning a title in Birmingham and winning against the likes of Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina in Berlin.

The serve is something that has been identified as Eala’s potential weakness, but her off-pace play and use of slice and drop shots were critical in her win over Swiatek. The Filipino player had emphasised the role of her team in this regard, and the constant encouragement of her group helps her to be in a good mindset to deliver more accurate rather than powerful serves.