“My match in Melbourne, I was at a loss for words when I saw the videos after my match. I saw a couple of clips of the lines and the people and I was really surprised. It’s hard to… I think also a little in denial. It’s hard to accept or really see yourself being someone with that much influence or that much impact because I’ve been myself my whole life. Nothing changed much, in terms of who I am, from 2025 to 2026. It’s just that my success kind of skyrocketed, which I’m very thankful for.
“So after I broke that barrier of not accepting, like thinking, ‘I don’t think I’m really famous’, every week they just kept coming, so I was like, ‘Okay, you have to accept it, absorb it, it’s here, it’s a really good position’, and I started to just be so grateful.
“Because I don’t know how long this is going to last either. It’s definitely not going to be forever, so I try to enjoy it as much as I can while it’s happening.”
The level of fandom around Eala has been undeniable, so much so that even her peers are in awe of the atmosphere she’s been able to create during her matches.
Amanda Anisimova sat in the stands for one of Eala’s matches in Dubai, just to witness it all firsthand.
“I love that she has such an incredible fan base. I’ve seen the atmosphere. It’s amazing,” Anisimova said.
“I think she’s also such a good representation of her country. I mean, she’s so young and she carries herself so well. It’s so good to see.
“I caught a little bit of the beginning of her match last night. Yeah, I stuck around for it because the atmosphere was so great.”