Alexandra Eala has earned widespread praise from high-profile names in the tennis community, including Martina Navratilova and Boris Becker, after winning her maiden tour-level title at the Mubadala DC Open. The compliments continued to pour in as Andrea Petkovic compared the Filipina to Jannik Sinner over a shared trait.
Why Andrea Petkovic Compared Alexandra Eala to Jannik Sinner
Eala did not have an easy path to the DC Open title, as she had to navigate past Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, defending champion Leylah Fernandez, No. 2 Elina Svitolina, and No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka to book a spot in the final.
The Filipina capped off her fairytale run by claiming an impressive 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over top seed Jessica Pegula in the rain-hit final, making history as the first Filipina to lift a WTA Tour trophy.
During a recent episode of “The Big T” podcast, Petkovic praised Eala for battling through an exceptionally tough draw while displaying remarkable composure and resilience on the court.
“She really had an incredibly tough draw. It’s fascinating to watch her. The fact that she is so, I’m trying to look for another word, but emotionally stable is the right word. I think she’s emotionally stable and she can handle anything,” Petkovic said. “And of course there will be ups and downs and she will have times where she plays better and not as great. But I feel like she has that inner strength to withstand anything.”
Drawing a comparison to Jannik Sinner, Petkovic expressed her belief that both players seemed “made for tennis” due to their impressive emotional stability, which allowed them to stay calm under pressure.
“To be honest, it reminds me a little bit of Jannik Sinner in a different way. But these kind of personalities are really made for tennis. If you are very much up and down, tennis will wear you down. It will exhaust you and you will hit the wall at one point. And these players who don’t seem to get too high and too low when things are going really great or really badly just seem to be very stable in what they want and who they are,” she added.
The German further suggested that the level-headed approach showcased by Eala and Sinner typically contributed to greater longevity on tour.
“They seem to have a certain kind of longevity on tour that others can’t find. And she strikes me like that type,” she said. “There is a lot going on around her but I’m hoping that people give her the time to still evolve and develop. But, she seems to me like she has all it takes to have longevity on tour.”
After her triumph at the DC Open, Alexandra Eala is set to battle for the WTA 1000 title at the Canadian Open in Toronto. The 21-year-old will take on Alycia Parks in her opening match, following a first-round bye.
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the Canadian Open to prioritize his fitness and manage his workload with the US Open around the corner. He is set to compete at the Cincinnati Open next, which will get underway on Aug. 13.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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