Alex Eala unfazed by hate, focused on representing PH with pride

Alex Eala during a meet and greet on Friday as she takes a brief holiday in the Philippines after her Grand Slam campaigns.

Alex Eala during a meet and greet on Friday as she takes a brief holiday in the Philippines after her Grand Slam campaigns. –HANDOUT PHOTO

Alex Eala’s rise to tennis stardom has drawn major interest from Filipino sports fans. But the world of social media isn’t all rainbows and unicorns.

The 20-year-old Eala gained more fans and brought more love to Philippine tennis after her dream run at the Miami Open, where she defeated three Grand Slam champions to reach the semifinals.

READ: Alex Eala hungry for more, targets US Open breakthrough

But with the surge in attention came criticism. A string of early exits following Miami led to hate comments from some casual fans and new supporters.

Still, Eala chose to stick with the positives, grateful for the growing support for Philippine tennis over the past three months.

“For one, I don’t pay attention to a lot of the negative comments,” said Eala during a meet and greet organized by her main backer Globe on Friday. “One mentality that I have is, there’s so much positive that I get from the Pinoys. So why would I focus on the negative, kung konti-konti lang? Usually, these people don’t know about tennis, and a lot of people don’t know what goes on behind the scenes.”

The Rafa Nadal Academy graduate remains unfazed by doubts, staying focused on improving and achieving more for the country.

“I’m very confident in myself, in my team, and in my work. I know that we are doing things right and I am doing the best I can. So that confidence allows me not to get affected by certain comments,” said Eala. “I am just grateful for all the love and support.”

READ: Alex Eala opens up on visa challenges with Philippine passport

Being a trailblazer for Philippine tennis is also what drives her in ever tournament.

“It’s such an honor. I just have to do my best to behave as well as I can because I know that, especially in the international tennis scene, I’m kind of what comes to mind when they think of Filipina. So, I really do my best,” Eala said. “I know that a lot of people look up, a lot of the youth look up to me. And I just want to represent us in a way that Pinoys would be glad to be represented.”

In fact, the Filipino tennis sensation has been turning heads—even impressing 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova after their first-round duel, where Eala bowed in three sets, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. Krejcikova called Eala part of the sport’s next generation and said she will be “really good in the coming years.”

Eala, now ranked World No. 56 after her Wimbledon debut and Eastbourne Open runner-up finish, hopes to continue building momentum and draw more Filipinos to support the sport.

She will compete in the US Open in late August, but first heads to Canada for two WTA 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, then to a WTA 500 in Monterrey and a tournament in New York.

Later this year, Eala will also see action in Asia, including events in China and Hong Kong.

Read more...