Eala: "I am learning to manage the pressure"

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Alexandra Eala arrives at Roland Garros 2026 as one of the media stars. After solidifying her position within the Top 50 following her breakthrough last season, the young Asian lands in Paris with more experience, greater confidence on clay, and gradually getting used to living with the huge media and emotional attention she generates in the Philippines.

During the Media Day before the start of the Parisian Grand Slam, Alexandra Eala discussed the pressure of representing an entire country, reflected on how she manages her emotions on and off the court, and also analyzed the growth she has experienced on clay over the past year. The Filipina also shared interesting insights about the support from her friends on tour, her relationship with the audience, and the influence that players like Rafael Nadal or Iga Świątek have on her development on this surface.

This is what Eala said before Roland Garros 2026

The pressure and support she receives from the Philippines

"I receive a lot of love and support from the Philippines, and it honestly makes me feel very proud and grateful. It's hard to exactly quantify the extent of all that attention because it greatly depends on who you ask, but I do feel a lot of constant support. I try to embrace it naturally because ultimately, it's a very beautiful thing to represent my country in this way."

Emotional management within the circuit

"The emotional challenges in tennis do not only depend on the audience. There are so many things within this sport that can make you feel tension, frustration, or euphoria during a match. I believe that the ability to control emotions and use them positively is one of the most important skills an athlete can have."

"Personally, I feel like I'm handling it quite well. There are tougher moments than others, of course, but overall, I believe I'm learning to manage it."

Dealing with the toughest moments

"The most challenging moments are usually tough losses or days when you just don't feel the ball well. I don't think there's a specific formula to get out of those situations. I talk a lot with my coaches, my parents, and all the people in my circle."

"I think having people you can share your feelings with is very important. For me, that's my family, my team, and also my friends on the tour. Although I'm still very young in the WTA, I feel like I've experienced many of those moments because I started competing at a very young age. In the end, you just learn to find your own way to move forward."

The significance of her friendships on tour

"The friendships I have on tour are very important to me. I don't know how I would survive the tour without them. They are not just tennis friends; they are truly friends for life. We share a lot of things together throughout the year."

"When we have to play against each other, we simply know how to perfectly separate the professional from the friendship. There's no need to change anything in the relationship."

Her evolution on clay

"I definitely feel much more prepared than last year to compete on clay. I believe I improved a lot on this surface over the last twelve months. I still have much room for improvement, but I feel like I evolved significantly as a player."

"All the preparation is aimed at arriving well at the Grand Slams, and honestly, right now I feel very good, very happy, and very excited. I don't feel like I have anything to lose this week, and that also allows me to play with more freedom."

Her reflection on the impact of Miami

"I am very proud of what we achieved after Miami. Prior to the tournament, I was around the 140th position, and then I rose significantly in the rankings."

"The most important thing for me is that not only did I maintain that ranking a year later, but I even continued to improve it. That demonstrates all the work we did. I always want more and I always have the desire to keep growing, but I honestly think it's also important to acknowledge the positive things you've accomplished."

What she learns by observing Nadal and Iga Świątek

"There are definitely many things you can learn by observing players like Rafa or Iga on clay. It's also true that you have to choose very well what things you can actually incorporate into your game because Rafa was literally a machine, and obviously not everyone can do what he did."

"But there are certain movements, patterns, and details that I try to gradually incorporate into my tennis because they are incredible players on this surface."

With increasing experience on the tour and learning to cope with the huge anticipation she generates in the Philippines, Alexandra Eala faces Roland Garros 2026 as a new opportunity to continue consolidating herself among the most promising players in the tennis world. The young Asian made it clear in Paris that, beyond rankings and results, her top priority remains to keep growing without losing the naturalness and enthusiasm that brought her to the elite.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Eala: "Estoy aprendiendo a gestionar la presión"