Eala: "I Watched Sharapova a Lot When I Was Young"

After her incredible run in Miami (where she was eliminated just short of the final by Jessica Pegula), Alexandra Eala has reached a new level. Following her victories in the same tournament against Ostapenko, Keys, and Swiatek, the 19-year-old Filipino player, invited by the Florida tournament organizers, made her debut in the top 100 and currently sits at No. 70.

Before starting her Rome tournament against Marta Kostyuk this Wednesday in an enticing first-round match on the Roman clay, Eala gave an interview to Tennis Channel in recent hours.

"Personally, I definitely prefer hard courts. It's the surface I grew up on, though I've obviously spent time on clay since then. In junior circuits, we play a lot on clay. I like to think I'm comfortable on both surfaces, but I feel even more at ease on hard courts.

I remember watching Rafa (Nadal) in person at Roland Garros once. I must have been around 12. I don’t agree with people who say I play like him, but I think more than my playing style, it’s the players’ attitude on court that matters and what I try to draw inspiration from.

I also watched Sharapova a lot when I was young, and she’s the one who passed on a lot of her grit and power to me. I also picked up a lot of my fighting spirit from watching Rafa. But I think what I loved most about watching Sharapova when I was young was her outfits!" she concluded.