ALEX Eala is excited – and perhaps relieved – that she will be in the main draw of the 124th edition of the French Open from May 25 to July 8 at the famed red clay-courts of Roland Garros in Paris, France.
“Super excited, super happy. It is a big achievement to start in the main draw, instead of playing the three qualifying matches to get into the tournament,” Eala said in an online interview yesterday from the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain.
“(Of course), with that (comes) bigger challenges as well and so much to gain. So I am super motivated,” said the pretty Filipina netter, who has risen to No. 73 in the Women’s Tennis Association world ratings after her sensational run that ended in the semifinals of the recent Miami Open.
This enabled her to skip the qualifying grind, unlike last year when she came one match short of entering the main draw of the heritage-rich tournament.
While she appreciated being mentioned in the same breath as her mentor, 14-time French Open men’s singles champion and clay court genius Rafael Nadal, Eala said she likes to carve her own path to greatness.
“Rafa has been a big role model not only for me but also for everybody. So to be mentioned in the same breath is nice to hear. Of course, Roland Garros meant much to him as a player,” Eala stressed.
“But I just want to keep trying to make my own path. I want to do well at Roland Garros, not because Rafa did well there, but because I believe I can do well in the Grand Slam,” she added.
Given her recent achievement in the Miami Open, where she beat three former Grand Slam champions in Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, American Madison Keys and Polish world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, this has bolstered her confidence that she has what it takes to win one of the four major tennis tournaments.
“I really think that I have the potential for a Grand Slam. But to be great, you have to win one big tournament after tournament. So that is what I am working on. (Ultimately) that (Grand Slam triumph) is the goal. Nandun pa rin ‘yun,” Eala said.
Priming up at the Rafa Nadal Academy where she honed her skill and talents, she reiterated she is completely healthy and ready for the clay-court season.
“I am perfectly and ready to go,” said Eala while disclosing the key things that have led to her marked improved performance and accelerated rise in the world rankings and a threat to the big guns of women’s tennis.
“I have grown so much as a player over the past year technically and tactically. I am smarter on court and physically much stronger than I was a year ago,” she said, “so all of those things combined have made such a big difference in my game, especially when I am playing well.”
But she acknowledged that she still needs to work on her game, like her serve and physical conditioning.
“My serves at the start of the point need work. Also my fitness and the overall shape of my body. It was a heavy load and I was able to push through (in the Miami Open) until the end,” she pointed out
“But the next step is for my body to handle this (high) level repetitively.”
