Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala ahead of her campaign in the Wimbledon championships. (Wimbledon photo)
Filipina tennis star Alexandra ‘Alex’ Eala enters her second Wimbledon main-draw campaign as a seeded entry, confident that she has done everything she could to prepare and compete with the world’s best netters.
Eala begins her Grand Slam grass-court bid after a phenomenal buildup that saw the country’s pride win a WTA 125 title and turn heads with successive upsets at the Berlin Open in Germany.
“I think I’ve definitely put in the hours. I’ve had the matches, and I’ve had that time on court,” the 21-year-old remarked in an interview with Spot TV.
“So I couldn’t have come into Wimbledon in better shape. I think I’ve done everything to prepare the best way I could,” she opined.
In her opening match scheduled tomorrow afternoon, Eala faces a familiar foe in world No. 75 Renata Zarazúa of Mexico with the distinct opportunity to win her first Wimbledon main-draw match against a lower-ranked opponent and advance to the second round.
As of June 29, Eala is currently at No. 32 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)’s world ranking. After making her awaited debut last year, in which she lost in the first round to Barbora Krejčíková, Eala now returns as the No. 29 seed.
While the Quezon City lass feels “sentimental” about earning a seed in the prestigious tournament, she is staying with both feet on the ground.
“Wimbledon has always been kind of the tournament for me growing up. And it gets kind of sentimental when I hear that I’ve been seeded. Of course, I try not to dwell on it a lot just because the tournament hasn’t started yet,” she enthused.
“But I think when I first heard the news, it’s touching because I get to look back at how far I’ve come and, to be a seed at Wimbledon, it’s a big deal and it’s something I’m really proud of,” she added to conclude.