Alex Eala shares what Caty McNally told her at the net after her win at the Canadian Open
Alex Eala, the 21-year-old tennis star who has been turning heads this year, shared a sweet moment she had with her Canadian Open opponent, Caty McNally, at the net.
Eala is now in the Round of 16 at the big WTA 1000 event and will next play against Belinda Bencic, who has won ten Tour titles, including the famous 2021 Olympic gold medal.
This young Filipino sensation has amazed tennis fans with impressive wins over Top 10 players, including beating the defending champion Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon this summer. Eala won her first Tour title last month at the Washington Open and is ranked 20th in the world. She also has several sponsorships and is earning well from her growing career.
In her match against McNally, who is ranked 70th, Eala won in three tough sets: 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 after more than two and a half hours of play. The American fought hard and saved a big break point late in the match but couldn’t take it back and had to leave the tournament.
After the match, Eala told reporters, “There was a lot of respect between us; she said, ‘Congratulations’ and ‘Thanks for letting me be part of this.’ That was really kind of her. I have a lot of respect for Caty.”
Eala admitted she was very tired during the match but hopes to rest well before facing Bencic. She’s aiming to win more titles before the US Open.
Many are comparing Eala to tennis great Serena Williams, thanks to her amazing year, with former British star Greg Rusedski even saying she could win multiple Grand Slams. Sky Sports presenter Gigi Salmon compared her fanbase to Taylor Swift’s, saying watching Eala play was like watching a big concert. She’s also been compared to Emma Raducanu, who shocked the world by winning the US Open as a qualifier in 2021.
Eala has a great chance to follow in Raducanu’s footsteps. She’s already beaten tough players like Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina, proving she can compete with anyone when she’s on her game.
Up next is Bencic, ranked 14th and also a strong player who reached the same round at Wimbledon but lost to Coco Gauff in a close match. This will be their first time playing each other. Eala is coming into this on a seven-match winning streak, while Bencic is just returning to competition after some time off since Wimbledon. It should be an exciting match!