Italian Open: Alex Eala answers ‘pressure’ question as she addresses Joao Fonseca comparison
Alex Eala has spoken about wanting to perform for her army of fans and addressed a comparison between her and Brazilian star Joao Fonseca.
World No 42 defeated 45th-ranked Magdalena Frech 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 in her opening round match at the 2026 Italian Open on Thursday.
The 20-year-old Filipina is a superstar in her home nation, and she is cheered on by huge numbers of her compatriots at tournaments.
After battling back from 1-3 down in the deciding set against Frech, Eala was asked how she turned the match around in an interview with Tennis Channel
“I think I told myself that I wasn’t tired enough, and I told this to my team: that I wasn’t finishing the points tired enough,” she said.
“So maybe the intensity went down a little bit, and I tried my best to give that little extra push every single point. And it paid off.”
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The left-handed star was then asked if she feels pressure to deliver for her fans.
“Yes, of course, I want to give back as much as they give for me,” Eala said.
“But the obligation, first and foremost, is to myself. And it’s my journey.
“I am really super grateful that everyone, all of these supporters want to follow in that journey that I have, but I owe it to myself, first and foremost, and to my family and to my team, to give it everything that I have.
“And yeah, the rest will follow, I think.”
Eala was also asked if she had spoken to Fonseca, who has had a similar experience with receiving massive support from his compatriots.
“No, not concerning this particularly. I’m flattered to be compared to him,” she replied.
“I think he’s a great player, and he seems to be handling it [the pressure of expectation from fans] really well.
“But no, maybe that is something I should talk to him about.”
Eala will play world No 33 Wang Xinyu in the second round at the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome, and she could meet world No 2 Elena Rybakina if she reaches the third round.
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