“Pressure is a privilege,” Billie Jean King once said, and Coco Gauff knows that better than most. She has lived with huge expectations since breaking through at Wimbledon at 15 in 2019. Yet even Gauff believes Alexandra Eala carries a heavier burden, because the Filipino star is not just expected to win; she is breaking barriers for an entire country.

“No, I can’t at all. Because she’s the first Filipino player to break a lot of the barriers that she’s done. 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 his country. I’m lucky to be from the U.S. where we had a lot of icons to look up to. People who have already broken down doors for me to be here where I am. I can’t empathize in that aspect,” said Gauff in her press conference.

“The only way I can is maybe just like the hype of everyone expecting you to win every single match. I guess I can empathize on that standpoint. But I definitely think she has more pressure, from the outside looking in, she has more pressure.”

Filipino tennis has produced notable names, but mostly outside top-level singles. Treat Huey reached the Wimbledon men’s doubles semifinals in 2016, while Francis Casey Alcantara won the boys’ doubles title at the 2009 Australian Open. In women’s singles, however, Eala had no real blueprint to follow. She had to build one herself.

For someone who ended the 2024 season ranked No. 158, Eala has already broken several ceilings for Filipino tennis by winning a Tour-level title, reaching a WTA 1000 semifinal, and climbing into the Top 20 of the WTA Rankings.

The fact that the World No. 18 has played on Centre Court at Wimbledon and contested a US Open main-draw match inside Arthur Ashe Stadium this year shows how far she has pushed Filipino tennis.

Compared to Gauff, the American had the iconic Williams sisters as inspiration. Tennis is much more popular in the US than in the Philippines, and the World No. 4 has access to some of the best coaches in the world.

On the other hand, Eala earned a scholarship at the Rafa Nadal Academy, with the Filipino player making a name for herself in the juniors after winning the Les Petits As title.

Also, breaking through at 15 at Wimbledon let everyone in the tennis community be aware of Gauff’s talent, whereas Eala had to bide her time. Currently, Gauff is a two-time Major champion and has finished as the World No. 3 for the last three seasons, which has rightly put her under high expectations, given the profile of her achievements.

Eala is still developing, but the expectations around her already feel massive. Her maiden title in Washington showed how high her ceiling could be, yet she is still early in her Tour career.

That has not stopped Filipino fans from treating every big match like a national event, with public watch parties organized across the country during her Wimbledon run. The support is huge, but so is the pressure that comes with it.

However, much to the fans’ disappointment, the much-anticipated Eala-Gauff clash is no longer a possibility at Flushing Meadows, as the Filipino player lost to Iva Jovic in a three-hour battle.

Alexandra Eala Misses Coco Gauff Clash After Losing to Iva Jovic

Coming into the match against Jovic, Eala was under pressure, having already lost twice to the American this year.

The match looked like going the same way, as the 18-year-old home favorite took a 4-1 lead in the first set. However, Eala tied it at 5-5, but it was the American who took the opening set 7-5.

In the second set, there were five consecutive service breaks, but it was Eala who held on in the ninth game to win the set 6-3.

Eala looked in control after taking a 4-2 lead in the deciding set and coming close to going up 5-2. But Jovic flipped the match, winning five of the next six games to close it out. Eala saved one match point, but the American still beat her for the third time this year.

Having won the match, Jovic will now play Coco Gauff in the fourth round in an All-American clash.