Coco Gauff says Alexandra Eala carries greater pressure after US Open run

Coco Gauff believes Alexandra Eala is carrying a heavier burden of expectation because of the barriers the rising Filipino player has broken. BBC Sport reported Gauff’s comments after Eala’s third-round defeat by Iva Jovic at the US Open, where the 21-year-old became emotional while discussing the strong support she receives from the Philippines.

Watch the highlights:

Eala defeated Mary Stoiana and Oleksandra Oliynykova to reach the third round at Flushing Meadows. Her run followed another piece of history on her US Open debut last year, when she became the first Filipino player to win a match at the tournament during the Open era. She has since climbed to 18th in the world rankings.

Gauff, the world number four and a two-time Grand Slam champion, was asked whether she could relate to Eala’s situation. The 22-year-old American has played doubles with Eala but said their circumstances are different because the United States already had established sporting figures who opened doors for later generations. Gauff was preparing to face Jovic in the fourth round when she made the comments.

The American compared Eala’s importance to Filipino sport with the standing of boxer Manny Pacquiao, emphasizing the national significance of her achievements. Gauff said the part she could understand was the constant expectation to win every match, but her assessment was that Eala faces even more pressure from outside because she is the first Filipino woman to reach several of these milestones.

Eala’s progress has accelerated this season. She became the first Filipino to win a WTA singles title last month and captured her maiden WTA 500 crown at the Washington Open. Before that success, she won her second WTA 125 singles title in Birmingham in June. Filipino flags and supporters have become increasingly prominent at her matches as her ranking and results have improved.

Her Grand Slam results have also expanded her profile. Eala reached the fourth round at Wimbledon this year before advancing to the third round of the US Open. After Wimbledon, she returned to the Philippines for a reception hosted by President Ferdinand Marcos at Malacanang Palace in Manila. The public response and visible support in New York underline the scale of the attention Gauff was describing, even as Eala’s latest US Open campaign ended against Jovic.