In a full-circle moment, Alex Eala met her childhood hero, Maria Sharapova, as a guest on the tennis legend’s podcast, Pretty Tough.
The episode featuring the Filipino sensation premieres on Thursday (Manila time). Sharapova posted a video teaser on her Instagram. In the short clip, Eala even showed Sharapova a picture of her with the five-time Grand Slam winner and former World No. 1 taken in 2010.
During Eala’s historic Wimbledon campaign last July, she drew praise from Sharapova, who called her ‘a star’ following her second-round win over then-defending champion Iga Swiatek.
One of the sport’s brightest stars with a massive following, Eala has been a hot commodity on and off the court.
Apart from being the biggest draw in Grand Slams and other major tournaments, Eala has also made rounds on the global fashion circuit, with high-profile appearances in New York and Paris Fashion Week. She was recently at the Chanel Spring/Summer 2027 show at Grand Palais in Paris shortly after winning bronze at the Asian Games in Japan.
The 21-year-old Eala is having a banner season, highlighted by her first WTA Tour title at the Washington Open and rise to World No. 18.