Leylah Fernandez praises ‘amazing’ Alexandra Eala and shares what she’s really like off court

Alexandra Eala has received high praise from her WTA rival Leylah Fernandez, who has hailed the Filipina star as "amazing" on and off the court.

The verdict comes ahead of the Singapore Open, with both players set to take on the WTA 500 tournament in the Asian Swing. But ahead of their first matches getting underway, Fernandez has shared insight into what Eala is like behind the scenes.

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Along with their various interactions elsewhere, the pair have met twice on the court in their careers so far, each winning one match. Both arrived this season, with the Canadian winning in Stuttgart before Eala exacted her revenge en route to the Washington title.

Leylah Fernandez praises 'amazing' player and person Alexandra Eala

Speaking to the media at the Singapore Open, Fernandez said of Eala: "Alex is such an amazing player, and most importantly such an amazing person. She's super kind, super humble. She always has a smile on her face.

"I know getting on tour, the Filipino community are super supportive of their players, and I felt that welcome when I came on tour. Wherever I was around the world there was always a beautiful crowd that was supporting me, and to have Alex there too really shows how much the Filipino community loves to support one of their own. So it's really nice."

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Their fellow WTA player Alycia Parks also had praise for Eala, welcoming the excitement she continues to bring to the sport, commenting: "It's always fun. It's a good thing for tennis."

All three players are now preparing to get going at the Singapore Open, where Fernandez and Parks could meet in the second round, while Eala has a first-round bye.

READ MORE: Alexandra Eala issues fitness update ahead of her first match at the Singapore Open

Asian Swing to start with the Singapore Open

The hard-court swing on the WTA calendar has now reached its conclusion, climaxing with Elena Rybakina's US Open title. It now paves the way for the Asian Swing, which comprises 10 tournaments between now and mid-November.

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The Singapore Open kicks off the action alongside the Korea Open, which are followed by back-to-back WTA 1000 tournaments in Beijing and Wuhan. Events in Ningbo, Osaka, Tokyo, Guangzhou, Chennai and Hong Kong then complete the swing.

The schedule then concludes with the WTA Finals, which have switched from Riyadh to Indian Wells. The season-ending tournament will then move to Charlotte from the 2027 campaign onwards. It will mark the first time Charlotte will host a WTA level event since 1977, when Martina Navratilova won on clay.

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