Eala talks 'intimidating' Nadal, fan frenzy in breakthrough year
HONG KONG, China — Philippine tennis trailblazer Alex Eala remembers the moment it struck her just how wildly popular she had become, telling AFP: "It was shocking."
It was a hot and sunny January day in Melbourne this year, and the Filipina was playing in the main draw at the Australian Open for the first time.
Huge lines of fans from her country queued up to catch a glimpse of her, and the intimate court used for the first-round match against the American Alycia Parks was packed beyond bursting.
Eala lost and, after spending some time greeting her supporters, she was whisked out of the arena by the kind of security detail usually reserved for heads of state.
"Hard to forget," the 21-year-old said in an interview at this week's Hong Kong Open, reminded of the episode.
"I've experienced crowds before but I think that was probably my first experience where it was of that magnitude.
"And I think those moments kind of hit a bit stronger when they're unexpected."
Back in the Philippines, which has never had a world-class woman tennis player before, Eala was already on the way to becoming a superstar.
Then at Wimbledon in July she reached the Last 16 — her best performance at a Grand Slam — and a photo of her diving full-length to make a shot went viral.
Next came history as she beat four-time major champion Naomi Osaka in the semifinals in Washington, DC, and defeated top seed Jessica Pegula for the title.
Eala was the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA singles crown.
She is now at a career-high 17 in the world, and it has become a feature of women's tennis that wherever she plays she is mobbed by huge crowds of her compatriots.
Part of Eala's charm in the eyes of her followers is that she does not shy away from engaging with her many fans.
"I do my best to give back to them," said Eala, who is the second seed in Hong Kong and starts her title bid against Parks.
"It's something that I can do to show them that it (their support) is appreciated."
Eala's rise to prominence has seen her play alongside multiple Grand Slam winner Venus Williams in doubles.
The 46-year-old Williams is also playing in Hong Kong this week.
"I think when you're able to work so closely or be in the vicinity of someone of that magnitude or someone like Venus, you notice a lot of things, and I try to be a little observant," said Eala.
"The mindset that she has of aggression on court is amazing and the work ethic is incredible.
"I think the work ethic is something that is difficult to achieve."
Rafael Nadal is another legend of the game that Eala can draw knowledge from, having come through at his academy in Mallorca.
When Eala was named in September by Time magazine in a list of most influential rising stars in the world, Nadal fondly recalled she was the first player he shared a tennis court with since his retirement two years ago.
The Spaniard called her "a wonderful person — warm, approachable and humble".
"It isn't easy to handle becoming a true phenomenon at such a young age," he wrote.
Eala said that Nadal is in communication with her coach "most of the time".
"Every once in a while, yes, we are in contact," she said.
"He'll congratulate me or I message him on the 10th anniversary of the academy and things like that."
Can she just phone up the 22-time Grand Slam champion any time?
"I'm sure I can, he's really open like that," she replied.
"He's really super down-to-earth, very humble.
"But that doesn't take away from the fact that I still get intimidated when I'm around him."
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