It has paid off – already – as Eala has quickly climbed the ladder. She first picked up a racket at age 4 and had discipline and competitiveness instilled by her mother, a former top swimmer. But tennis was a mystery to most in the Philippines, with little heritage in the sport.
Before Eala, no Filipina had won a WTA singles match or been ranked inside the top 250, let alone playing at a grand slam or reaching the semi-finals of a WTA 1000 event, as she did last year in Miami. Being such a pioneer means Eala had to find role models in other places.
“Yeah, we haven’t had any players that have reached this level, but when it comes to taking inspiration, you hold the power from where you take inspiration from,” said Eala. “I take inspiration from my family, my brother, my grandfather, who was my first tennis coach. There are so many to look up to.”
Her achievements have made her a national hero in the Philippines, as the country has quickly gone nuts over the quietly spoken left-hander, who is all power and poise on the court. She attracts massive crowds of expatriates wherever she plays, with a raucous atmosphere generated, as shown in Auckland.
The Eala fever peaked in March last year, with her staggering run in Miami, when she beat three grand slam champions in consecutive matches, including then world No 5 Madison Keys and No 2 Iga Swiatek. There was another chapter in September, as she became the first Filipino to win a grand slam match, stunning world No 12 Clara Tauson at the US Open. Last year, she jumped almost 100 ranking places – starting 2025 at No 147 and featured on the cover of Vogue and Tatler in her home country. So how does she deal with the ensuing pressure and hype?
“A lot of people mention the word pressure when they talk about all this hype and attention, but at the end, you can’t take anything for granted,” said Eala. “Coming from where I come from and this whole journey that I’ve had, this is the dream, you know, to play on the tour and to compete against these great players. So all the support and all the love is an added bonus, and I’m very grateful for it.”
Still, it can be surreal at times, with her father recounting a story of her being recognised at United States immigration in Houston on a trip last year, with the Filipino-born officer incredulous that he was processing Eala’s passport.
Eala admits things can be “crazy” when she goes back home, but she tries to maintain a normal life, including visiting the shopping mall, despite the attention.
“I try to balance when I’m an extrovert and when I’m an introvert,” smiled Eala. “This fame has just come like quite recently, so I’m still trying to figure out like what works best for me.”
Eala is a joy to watch on court, with dynamic movement, energy and power off both wings. She has been inspired – obviously – by Rafa Nadal, though there is a limit to what she can copy.
“I wouldn’t say that our game styles are so similar, she laughed. “He’s obviously much stronger than I am, but I try to take things from his mentality.”
After her rollicking three-set win over Donna Vekic on Tuesday night, it was a lot more straightforward on Thursday, with an assured 6-0 6-2 win over world No 82 Petra Marcinko in 62 minutes.
The Croatian, who was ranked No 1 as a junior, struggled with the windy conditions, making numerous errors. But she was also frustrated by the consistency and accuracy of Eala, who was punishing with her returns.The Filipino also showed grit. After being broken early in the second set, she was 0-40 down in her next service game – as Marcinko briefly threatened a comeback – before Eala saved three consecutive break points then held, with a defiant look towards her coaching box.
Like the legendary Nadal, Eala’s counterpunching style – and ability to go for her shots from the back of the court – was evident and enjoyed by the crowd.
“That’s a fundamental part of my game,” said Eala. “I try to be aggressive when I can, and I try to recognise when it’s not the time to be aggressive. That’s something I’m still working on.”
Eala, who started her television post-match interview with “Kia Ora”, is becoming a crowd favourite here and will be well supported again in Thursday’s quarter-final, where she faces fifth seed Magda Linnette (Poland), with fellow youngster Iva Jovic (USA) also in action, against Belgium qualifier Sofia Costoulas.
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.