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Right now, Alexandra Eala is one of the most talked-about names in tennis, drawing attention, no matter what she is doing on or off the court.
When she wins, it is just another step forward in her steady rise, as she continues to break new ground for her country every time she hits a new career high.
But when things do not go her way, the criticism can get sharp. Some start to say that Eala is not living up to all the hype around her name.
The 20-year-old will likely always find it difficult to consistently perform at the high level demanded by her dedicated fan base. However, most fans fortunately do not expect her to win titles regularly or achieve top-ten victories all the time.
Despite the inherent nature of sports to attract quick criticism of a struggling superstar, Kim Clijsters commended Alexandra Eala.
The Filipina earned this praise for her resilience, refusing to be discouraged after her early first-round defeat at the Australian Open.
Kim Clijsters highlights areas of Alex Eala’s game that need work
The four-time Grand Slam champion started her Love All podcast by highlighting Eala’s skills.
“Well, there’s a lot of things that she does really well, and I think there’s a lot of things that make her opponents feel very uncomfortable. You know, one of the things that she can’t control is that she’s a left-hander,” she said.
Clijsters added: “Her forehand is really good, but I think her backhand is better, her backhand is a little bit more of an aggressive shot, whereas the combination of her aggressive baseline shots with her backhand and then the ability to hit a heavier spin and make your opponent kind of step back a little bit behind the baseline, being able to make the angle with her forehand and open up the court.
Clijsters went on to discuss Eala’s mental strength: “She’s still very young, but we see the mental growth as well.
“You know, having that support, like, we talk about that, but at times, and we saw it this year, after the Australian Open where Rafa, you know, spoke out about, you know, being a little bit of a protector for her as well, because when she lost to Alycia Parks at the Australian Open in a close three setter, she also got a lot of hate from her fans and from the Philippine world and the fans that support her from her home country.
“And so, you know, there’s a lot of new things that she’s dealing with, that’s such a young age as well, and she’s been in Spain for many years since I think she was 13 years old.
“I think she moved to Spain and trained at Rafa’s Academy and has been, you know, around people with a mindset that demands a lot, but is also very focused on, you have to put in the work, you are respectful, and she’s been around that environment, and I think there’s no coincidence that she has the results that she has.
“But I think it’s going to be very important for her to be a little bit protected from the craziness that comes with that all as well, and just the ability to keep focusing on what she has to do.”
Despite increasing scrutiny, Eala continues her steady ascent, achieving yet another career-high ranking last week.
Kim Clijsters draws Michael Jordan comparison for Alex Eala
Clijsters was not done there, saving perhaps her highest praise for the end of her comments.
She went as far as to draw a comparison between Eala and Michael Jordan, highlighting the level of fame she has reached in her home country.
The four-time Grand Slam winner explained: “She has done great things so far at a young age, but, you know, still has some improvements to get to, and consistency is something that is going to be very important. A lot of players know her now, know her strengths, know her weaknesses.
“So that’s something that she’s going to have to deal with as well, is to make sure that she can make her strengths become even stronger, but work on some of the weaknesses and yeah, and deal with, you know, this life of being, you know, like Michael Jordan in the Philippines.
“People just think it’s online, and it’s in the news and everything, but it’s, it’s not easy to, I think, to deal with, you know, changes like that.”
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