"I am so happy to be able to give back to my country everything it has given me," says Eala, the player shining a light on the Philippines.

© AFP

Adrien Guyot

le 12/09/2025 à 09h38

2 min to read

Eala Li Sharapova

Alexandra Eala has made a mark in Miami with impressive performances early in the season. As she moves toward new challenges, she shares her inspirations and her desire to honor the Philippines through tennis.

Eala is one of the breakout stars of the 2025 season. The Philippine player, currently ranked 61st in the world, had a fantastic run at the WTA 1000 in Miami, where she notably defeated Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Świątek before falling just short of the final against Jessica Pegula.

Now firmly established in the top 100, the 20-year-old Eala, who has currently qualified for the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 tournament in São Paulo (where she will face Indonesia's Janice Tjen), gave an interview to the media outlet Clay in which she discusses her country, the Philippines, which she represents through her athletic achievements.

"Having a role model in tennis is very important because it inspires. But I don't think you should limit yourself to your own country for inspiration. For me, I was inspired by Sharapova, for example, because she was very aggressive and mentally strong.

But on the other hand, I also admired Li Na because she was Asian. You can find inspiration from anyone. I feel so lucky today, and it's sometimes hard to grasp because when you think about it, there are 115 million people in the Philippines, and I am the first tennis player in the country's history.

It's sometimes completely crazy. But I am so happy to be able to give back to my country everything it has given me, in whatever way I can. The run in Miami or the second round at the US Open? I think both were historic.

They both hold a very special place in my heart. I would say Miami because I think it lasted longer. But of course, my match against Tauson in New York was very, very emotional," Eala stated.