Alexandra Eala’s breakthrough culminates with Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros

ROME, Italy—Alexandra Eala didn’t know doubles players could get called for press.

“That’s what happens when you form a superstar team,” joked Hologic WTA Tour communications manager Teyva Sammet, who shepherded Eala and partner Coco Gauff into the Foro Italico’s mixed zone for multiple media obligations.

Only 14 months apart, Gauff is lightyears ahead of Eala in experience, a Grand Slam champion and world No. 2. Sitting together for an on-camera interview, they laughed like old friends despite only meeting for the first time at the Miami Open, where a then-19-year-old Eala stormed into her first WTA 1000 semifinal.

“She’s such a nice person,” Gauff said of the phenom from the Philippines. “When there’s people finally my age on tour, I’m glad to interact.

“She seems chill. She seems like she’s working hard, so I don’t have any advice for her just because she seems relaxed. The only thing I did tell her was that doubles helped me a lot in that space, having some time on court where it’s a little less stressful. So, I encouraged her to play when she could.”

After a whirlwind spring, the Quezon City-born Eala could have expected a down week at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, having endured a disappointing singles defeat to Marta Kostyuk. Instead, she slid into Gauff’s Instagram DMs to pitch a partnership with the former doubles No. 1.

“I took a chance!” recalled Eala, herself a former junior Grand Slam champion in doubles. “I felt that we could get along given our closeness in age. She’d done really well in Madrid, so I was thinking maybe I could get her in a good mood.

“I’m so happy that she replied and said yes.”

Together, Eala and Gauff—who are still looking for a team name, vetoing the fan-suggested “Coachella”—won back-to-back straight set matches before falling to eventual champions Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini. The week became a well-earned reset for Eala, one of the fastest-rising stars in the women’s game.

It’s such a great learning experience for me. You want to give your best because of how good she is, but I’ve also learned a lot from how she works, how she warm-ups up and does everything. Alexandra Eala on Coco Gauff

“It’s such a great learning experience for me,” she told me. “You want to give your best because of how good she is, but I’ve also learned a lot from how she works, how she warm-ups up and does everything.

“She has a pretty extensive warm-up routine. She’s obviously very fit, and for me to get to that level of athleticism will take a bit more time.”

A graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy, Eala has been a quick study thus far. She rocketed into the Top 70 with wins over Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek in Miami, and nearly toppled the reigning Roland Garros champion for a second time in Madrid, leading Iga by a set and a break.

The run came to a thudding halt in Rome, where victorious opponent Marta Kostyuk offered sage advice as a former teen phenom.

“She’s going to make it. She’s going to be here, around,” she said confidently and despite handing Eala a 6-0, 6-1 defeat. “But it’s just, when you are young, you go through these kinds of days...

“I told her at the net, ‘It’s a rough road, but you’ve got it. Just enjoy it,’ because it is. It’s not pleasant when you go onto the court after working so hard and things don’t go your way and you’re trying to figure it all out. You feel everything so much more. You feel everything like it’s so big, but that’s just because their time hasn’t passed by. They still haven’t had enough matches played, enough sh*t that you’ve been in!

“But it’s cool because, if you’ve gone through that, congrats: you’re going to be better on the other side.”

The loss may have been the best thing to happen to Eala as she prepares to make her major main-draw debut at Roland Garros. Rather than continuing to marinate in the growing volume of expectations, she spent a pressure-free week making a new friend and enjoying an in-person master class from a player at the top of their game.

“I’ve been having two days off in between doubles, so I’ve been mainly focused on training, because it’s a lot of training,” Eala told me with a smile.

Eala will turn 20 years old in time for her first round against Emiliana Arango. Though she won’t reunite with Gauff in Paris, fans could see them team up in London to catch Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour before Wimbledon.

“I’m so obsessed with Beyoncé’s and Blue Ivy right now,” said Eala, whose favorites include “Partition” and “Single Ladies.” “Blue Ivy is really killing it right now, going viral with all of her dancing and stuff. It’s crazy to think she’s only 13!”

With a potential second round against reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, Eala will slide onto the terre battue with ample opportunity to not only make another viral moment of her own, but also build her own path to superstardom.