Alex Eala praised for already having one skill that Martina Navratilova and Novak Djokovic took time to learn

Alexandra Eala will be hoping to finish the 2026 season strong, having undeniably enjoyed the best year of her young career so far.

After all, it has boasted some incredible runs at Grand Slams and was capped off by winning the title in Washington, her first at the WTA Tour level.

There are many facets of the 21-year-old’s game that draws praise, from her elite returning to her incredible movement.

However, speaking with Dyan Castillejo for ABS-CBN News, Pam Shriver has actually insisted that there is another trait that stands out among the rest.

And, rather interestingly, it is one she was seemingly born with, just like Rafael Nadal.

Pam Shriver praises Alexandra Eala’s mental strength

Unprompted, Shriver brought up the Filipina superstar all on her own.

“A player that I happened to have watched a lot this year is Alex Eala,” she began, drawing a big smile from the interviewer.

Shriver continued: “I’m really interested in the mindset piece; what I find so interesting in watching Alexandra Eala play is she has a very strong natural mindset. 

“Well, you know, a lot of times, you’re born with it, and certainly, in the case of, like, other tennis players, like, Novak Djokovic, Martina Navratilova, I believe they learned to develop a stronger mindset. Like, they weren’t born with it as much.

“I’d say, like, Nadal, Alex Eala, Chris Evert, Tracy Austin, are examples of players who are born with a naturally strong mindset.

“But the good news is, you can learn skills to deal with the pressure, to deal with how to handle the whole year, a tournament, a major, when it’s two weeks long. So it’s, you know, for me, the power of the brain, and the influence that the brain has on your success, is really interesting.”

It’s almost ironic that such praise comes after Eala was accused of looking tired, when she snapped back at a reporter for this suggestion.

If she can reach the semi-final of the Hong Kong Open, which she is just one win away from achieving, the youngster will find herself at a career-high ranking of 16th in the world.

This would put her in a sensational position heading into the Australian Open, hopefully securing a seeded spot that would see her avoid the world’s very best players until at least the fourth round.