Madrid break recharges Eala ahead of Italian Open

AMID the demands of competing in the professional circuit, Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala has found a breather in spending time with her family and making friends on the court.

Speaking in a recent episode of the Madrid Open Iguales podcast, the world No. 44 Eala shared how being with her family in the Spanish capital allowed her to step away from the daily grind of tennis.

“Tennis as a sport is very repetitive,” Eala said. “What I like about Madrid specifically is that my family is here and these past few days I’ve been able to disconnect.”

“For example, we go to dinner with my parents and their friends, and nobody talks about tennis. It’s so refreshing to be here after a couple of weeks of intense competition. It’s supposed to be like this, you can clock out after work,” she added.

Eala is glad to have that mental reset as she’s currently in the middle of a tough clay court season. The 20-year-old Filipina absorbed early exits in the Linz Open in Austria, Stuttgart Open in Germany, and Madrid Open, where she was unable to break through the second round.

Aside from family support, the Rafael Nadal Academy graduate also emphasized the importance of the friendships she has built with other players as well as her team during the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tour.

“This past year, what I’ve developed a lot is friendships on tour. I think it’s so important, and I’m really grateful for these girls that I have,” said Eala, who previously reached a career-high world ranking of No. 29 after strong performances in the Dubai Tennis Championships and Indian Wells Open earlier this year.

“We all know that we’re here to compete. We’re here for our job. But it’s so important to be able to compartmentalize that, and to find these small moments and happy things because they help us lighten the mood and help us on the court,” she added.

Eala will next see action in the Italian Open in Rome from May 5 to 17. Depending on her results, she may also join the Parma Ladies Open from May 11 to 17.

All these tournaments are part of Eala’s buildup for the pinnacle event of the clay season that is the French Open set from May 18 to June 7 at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris.

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