Coco Gauff believes Alex Eala is dealing with a level of pressure that is difficult for her to fully understand. The American, who has established herself as one of the leading players in women’s tennis, said Eala’s position is different because of what she represents in the Philippines. The 20-year-old Eala has become a trailblazer for Filipino tennis, breaking new ground while carrying the expectations of a country following her progress closely.
Eala has enjoyed a breakthrough year, winning her first WTA Tour title at the Mubadala DC Open and reaching a career-high ranking. She has carried that momentum into the US Open, where she advanced to the third round after beating Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2 and Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4. She is currently playing the third-round match against Iva Jovic.
Asked whether could relate to the pressure Eala faces, Gauff admitted that she could not fully empathise with her friend’s experience.
“No, I can’t at all,” Gauff said. “Because she’s the first Filipino player to break a lot of the barriers that she’s done.”
Coco Gauff points to Alexander Eala’s unique position
Gauff said Eala’s achievements have importance beyond tennis because of the limited number of Filipino athletes who have reached the same level of international recognition.
“Especially on the female side, when you speak of athletes from the Philippines, she’s doing similar things to what Manny Pacquiao is doing for her country,” Gauff said.
Eala climbed to a career-high No. 18 in the WTA rankings this season, becoming the highest-ranked Filipino and Southeast Asian player in WTA history. She also became the first Filipino player to break into the WTA top 20.
Eala won her first WTA Tour singles title at the Mubadala DC Open in August, beating Jessica Pegula in the final to become the first Filipino to win a WTA Tour-level singles championship.
In 2025, she became the first Filipino player in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam main-draw match when she defeated Clara Tauson at the US Open. She followed that by reaching the semifinals of the Miami Open, becoming the first Filipino player to reach the last four of a WTA 1000 event.
The American explained that growing up in the United States gave her access to a long line of sporting role models who had already established themselves before she reached the professional stage.
“I’m lucky to be from the U.S. where we had a lot of icons to look up to,” Gauff said. “People who have already broken down doors for me to be here where I am. I can’t empathize in that aspect.”
Gauff and Eala also share a friendship away from the court. The pair previously played doubles together and recently had dinner in Toronto, giving them an opportunity to spend more time together.
“She’s just such a cool nice girl and someone I’d like to get to know even more,” Gauff said.
Coco Gauff was asked if she can relate to the pressure Alex Eala has on her shoulders, ‘No, I can’t at all. Because she’s the first Filipino player to break a lot of the barriers… she’s doing similar things to what Manny Pacquiao is doing for her country’
“As someone who… pic.twitter.com/PMuSGBK8FD
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 6, 2026
‘She has more pressure’
Gauff acknowledged that she understands one part of Eala’s experience — the expectation that comes with being a highly ranked player.
“I definitely understand the hype of everyone expecting you to win every single match,” she said.
But she believes Eala faces an additional responsibility because of what her success means to Filipino tennis.
“I definitely think she has more pressure, from the outside looking in, she has more pressure,” Gauff said.
