Coco Gauff Details the Pressure Surrounding Alexandra Eala's Rise

Coco Gauff says Alexandra Eala is carrying a level of expectation that is difficult for her to compare with her own experience as one of the leading players in American tennis. BBC Sport reports that the world No. 4 was asked about Eala after the Filipino player's run at the US Open ended in the third round against Iva Jovic.

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Eala, 21, reached that stage by beating Mary Stoiana and Oleksandra Oliynykova. She became emotional after the loss while discussing the scale of the support she receives from the Philippines. Filipino flags and fans have become an increasingly visible presence at her matches as her results and ranking have improved.

The season has included several milestones for Eala. According to BBC Sport, she became the first Filipino to win a WTA singles title last month and has risen to No. 18 in the world rankings. She won her second WTA 125 singles title in Birmingham in June before securing her first WTA 500 title at the Washington Open.

Her progress at the Grand Slam tournaments has also broken new ground. On her US Open debut last year, Eala became the first Filipino player to win a match at the tournament during the Open era. This year she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and followed it with a place in the third round at Flushing Meadows. After Wimbledon, Filipino president Ferdinand Marcos hosted a reception for her at Malacanang Palace in Manila.

Gauff, a 22-year-old two-time Grand Slam champion, has played doubles with Eala. She said the comparison between their situations is limited because American tennis already had prominent figures who had opened doors before her arrival. In Eala's case, Gauff pointed to the barriers she is breaking on the women's side and compared her national significance with that of boxing great Manny Pacquiao.

The point on which Gauff could identify with Eala was the expectation that a highly regarded player should win every match. Even there, however, she said the pressure appeared greater from the outside for Eala because of her pioneering position. Gauff was preparing to face Jovic in the fourth round after the same player ended Eala's tournament.