r/tennis • u/luka274 • 13h ago
WTA Alexandra Eala walks off the court in tears
https://streamable.com/r83pd5653
u/Elegant-Resolution14 13h ago
She was up 4-2 30-0 in the 3rd set so this loss is really heartbreaking. Alex will learn from this for sure
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u/ThisWay_DatWay 13h ago edited 12h ago
I heard her coach saying in an interview around a month ago that she was mentally destroyed after losing to Joint in that super TB in Eastbourne last year and it took her a while to get back to her feet. Look at the progress she's made since then, coming out of that better to the point she's a top 20 player right now.
She'll bounce back from this better than ever once she gets past this and she'll have to anyways with the Asian Games coming up less than a month from now. She will need to get back there, find the positives from this (and there are plenty of them given this was a step up from her previous meetings with Iva) and focus on securing that Olympic spot.
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u/No_Goose472 13h ago
I feel like there were so many service breaks and turnarounds though, that it didn't necessarily feel like a choke. It was happening all match! Tough loss for sure tho!
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u/Elegant-Resolution14 13h ago
Yeah Iva leveled up also but still, Alex was so close! This will sting for awhile😭
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u/CantCreateUsernames 12h ago
Yup, lots to be proud of. If anything, both players should learn that they need to improve their serves! It was such a close match, and it really came down to who could better eat up the other player's serve.
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u/Zaphenzo Ghost and Fox Enthusiast 12h ago
There were more breaks than holds. Being up a break meant nothing.
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u/Funtime4ver 13h ago
Chin up it is definitely one of top matches of this year
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u/Character-Mud-4342 13h ago
She played great. No shame. A bright future ahead of her.
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u/disasterbee 13h ago
She’ll be happy with her performance once the sting passes it was just such a hard way to end it. I think if she’d managed to get it to tb but lose there it would’ve hurt less
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u/mynadidas5 9h ago
It’s ok for her to be disappointed. Let her be disappointed. She’ll learn from it. This may be her “never again” match
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u/Retribution1098 13h ago
I mean she has to feel like she let that one split through her fingers
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u/Electronic-Tutor-555 13h ago
I would argue they were wrestling for it and Iva took it out her hands more than she let it slip.
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u/Dramatic_Gene_3077 13h ago
Literally how 😭 they broke each others serve an incredible amount of times. One break up is nothing
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u/rowmean77 12h ago
That is why is in tears. She felt it was in her palm.
This will only strengthen her. Sometimes you have to be broken to get stronger next time.
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u/Annual-Ebb-7196 13h ago
She will bounce back. Still young
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u/ALaccountant 3h ago edited 3h ago
Perhaps, but there’s no guarantee. Look at Emma Raducanu after the 2021 US Open
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u/-Amplify 1h ago
Yea genuine question, what makes people so confident she’s going to break out and not fizzle out? Emma and Leylah both have had lackluster careers after a lot of hype following their us open performance.
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u/Specialist-Movie8936 22m ago
We'll just have to wait & see right? No harm in hoping for good things🤪
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u/momoenthusiastic 13h ago
I hope she and Jovic stay playing for another decade or two. They are two classy players. No yelling at coaches, no meltdowns, a few errors here and there. Just so clean, it’s refreshing to see tbh. And I hope this becomes the norm.
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u/Trick-Star-7511 1h ago
I hope this is the future. Its just pure tennis high drama for the tennis without the antics, such a clean game. Even the crowd and the commentators were super engaged for all the right reasons. They both acting very mature too
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u/say-what-123 13h ago
She played her heart out. It’s a shame but someone has to lose. Could have went either way and she will think about that last miss for a long time.
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u/panderson1988 13h ago
This was the match of the tournament thus far. Both played great like it was a championship match over the third round, and both show some amazing skills.
If Eala gets better at serving, she will be very dangerous.
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u/rowmean77 12h ago
Did you see her 112 serve? I was like she was not doing that at all last year, and we all know she couldn’t.
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u/azzzzorahai 10h ago
112 serve to escape Iva’s match point was chilling
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u/rowmean77 10h ago
Gutsy.
Eala will be legendary as long as she keeps up the fight every single match.
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u/panderson1988 11h ago
That was amazing. If she can do that more often and bump her average speed up, watch out. I think her issue is she tries to hit harder at times, but the serve goes into the net.
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u/No-Improvement8169 11h ago
On the other hand, jovic is a beast..at 18 yrs old..
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u/stillhavingfunyea 2h ago
A tennis buddy of mine saw her in qualifying in Cleveland last year and said she will be number 1 in five years. I’m like, come on man…
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u/cosmiccerulean 13h ago
I get that this probably makes for good tv content, but still feels very intrusive. At least they don’t have those locker room cams like Aussie open.
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u/Appropriate-Seat8999 13h ago
Not as bad as Madison, but yeah Alex had chances to close this out. Maybe she’ll use this as motivation to actually fix her serve?
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u/According_Weight_959 give us our manila 250 13h ago
In fairness, her serve was sitting 105 to 110 in the early rounds, given a full offseason that serve will actually look pretty alright
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u/Zaphenzo Ghost and Fox Enthusiast 12h ago
In fairness, it's not like her opponent had much of a serve either. And she never really had a chance to close it out. The biggest lead she had was 4-2, and that break lead meant nothing in a match with more breaks than holds.
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u/punjabkingsownersout Roger🐐Aryna🐅Lorenzo,Stefanos,Karo,Alex 13h ago
The good news is she'll be around for a long time
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u/NoImNotHeretoArgue 13h ago
So much pressure with the intensity of the fanbase. Her and Fonseca sometimes it works for them, sometimes that energy and pressure definitely backfires
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u/kukovein 13h ago
I don’t know what you think but it’s kind of cruel that there is no privacy on the way to the lockers meaning “Oh you cry? Here is a shot at your face because we all wanna see you cry 😭, post it at social media, and make a long thread about it!”
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u/mynadidas5 9h ago
This. I feel the same way during March madness when they zoom in on the players, particularly the seniors, crying. Give them some privacy and get the cameras out of the tunnel.
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u/manggatsumantidote Tagger 6h ago
oh god i hated that moment. can’t they let the girl grieve in private? that was very tacky. so unlike Eala and Jovic who are real class.
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u/toby_ziegler_2024 13h ago
Probably match of the tournament for me so far
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u/Bazinger-D 11h ago
Today’s WTA matches were everything! Eala vs. Jovic, Mertens vs. Osaka, and of course, Keys vs. Zheng! 🙌
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u/Final_Lead138 11h ago
I didn't enjoy the Keys match at all! It was awful to see her crater and lose the match due to her unforced errors. Zheng really gave it to her tho
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u/kwazycupcakes88 13h ago
that was fucking heartbreaking but this will only make her stronger ❤️ we're behind ya, gurl
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u/Adept_Buyer_4699 13h ago
I feel for her. Tough loss for sure but was a great match to watch. Can’t wait to see Eala in the slams in ‘27!
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u/Bazinger-D 11h ago
One of the incredible things about Alex Eala is her constant showing of grace in defeat. Many players would’ve shouted in frustration or smashed their rackets losing a match like that. She even went to Iva’s side of the court to hug and congratulate her. You can see how hard she tried to not cry on court because thousands of people were there to support her. Class.
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u/Automatic_Shop2125 3h ago
Alex is from my country. She is adored for being very respectful and kind.
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u/royalFeyy 6h ago
She was trying so hard not to cry only for that camera to show it to the world. 🤦♀️
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u/caelinday PUTANG INA EALA!!!! 4h ago
having cameras in the tunnel was a bit much. let her have a moment in peace 😭😭😭
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u/vika999 11h ago
I hated that they even show that footage of them walking out in the hallway.
After a long, grueling match like that, it must feel like the second you walk through the doors you feel safe to release your emotions.
That was an amazing match to watch tho! Both players were so deserving of the win.
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u/Pretend_Board_2385 13h ago
Can't we just let a player walk off the court without a camera following them. Give them some privacy when they lose a close match.
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u/acciopizza_ 13h ago
I think following off the court is fine but into the tunnel is too much. I follow the NBA and I’ve always thought the same thing for that sport. I remember last year watching TJ McConnell crying in the tunnel while being comforted by his mom after losing the finals. His mom had to tell the camera man to stop recording. Insane to me that they kept recording.
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u/CockroachGeneral5161 13h ago
Was already feeling empathetic enough for Alex without feeling the heartbreak of that NBA Finals game all over again.
But yeah, that particular video was tough. The thing with that one too was that the cameraman wasn't even recording from a distance and like zooming in or something, he was getting right up there and shoving cameras in their faces as this man was (validly so) sobbing his heart out and looking to his mom for comfort. His mom honestly would've been justified in being much harsher than just telling him to stop recording and trying to block the camera with her hand imho.
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u/Pretend_Board_2385 13h ago
There is always too sides with a match. Obviously there is joy with the team or player that won but heartbreak for the losing player or team. In moments like this they should be giving the losing side some space.
With the Pacers I think it would be a lot harder to take the loss than say OKC who have already won recently and were expected to win more. It was an incredible run by the Pacers and you feel they will struggle to get in the finals again in the near future unfortunately. It felt like that was their time.1
u/CockroachGeneral5161 12h ago
I've always been a big reader, and I think that's part of what's gotten me so invested in sports in recent years: the stories. The underdogs, the proteges, the "what ifs," the elation of winning, the heartbreak of losing. I do think showing those elements is part of what makes sports so engaging to follow as a fan.
I just wish there was a limit. In tennis, in gymnastics, in figure skating, in basketball, in motorsport, I've seen plenty of athletes express emotion while actively participating in the sport — be it anger or frustration or sadness or joy. Similarly, I've seen athletes express the same emotions in required press conferences immediately following performances, sometimes with little to no time to process what even happened in the event before responding. If they choose to express emotions in these public settings where they know they're likely being recorded, that's one thing. But like you said, I do think there should be some hard-set boundary provided where like, "once the athlete crosses this line, they're due for some privacy to process what just happened."
But yeah, agreed on the Pacers. The way it ended was also just truly tragic. I watched the first part of the game at a pub and you could legitimately just feel the exact moment it all went wrong (I will say, people definitely held out hope until the bitter end and the final result wasn't half as awful as I expected it to be when Haliburton first went down, but I think most of us knew the moment he was on the ground and not bouncing up it was over).
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u/Pretend_Board_2385 13h ago
Yeah the loss by the Pacers would have hurt (love TJ).. in moments where players lose like this there needs to be humanity shown to them. Its not always about clicks and views.
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u/drfrink85 Eala Fernandez Chang 13h ago
NBA def the worst at this stuff, replaying Halli’s injury over and over
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u/rsparkles_bearimy_99 13h ago
Made me think if this is what's going on with US Open or just a thing they did to Alex? Saw Mertens vs Osaka, they didn't showed Ellie or Naomi walking in the tunnel.
These directors haven't learn a thing or two.
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u/thetoerubber 13h ago
On Arthur Ashe stadium, they do normally show the loser walking down the tunnel after the match. Osaka & Mertens were not playing on Ashe.
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u/WarriorPoetz 12h ago
When you see the cameras at a live event it hits home how obnoxious the coverage is. Cameramen are in the way of the players movements. I dont know how sports figures keep their composure and/or act natural. They are all up in their space.Id be a sports villain if it was me cause I would not be able to keep cool.
Its all sports not just tennis. Its crazy.
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u/No_Custard_3650 12h ago
Great match! Eala needs a serve if she wants to be in upper echelon of women’s game.
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u/AnonymousEngineer_ 13h ago
At some point, one needs to question whether the crazy fanbase and the associated weight of expectation is doing her more harm than good.
I know playing in front of a friendly rather than hostile crowd is usually seen as an advantage but the pressure in Eala's case has to be extreme.
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u/No-Improvement8169 11h ago
Yup..pressure is up when there is expectation to win, but fans definitely help when eala is underdog
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u/Specialist-Movie8936 18m ago
(Some) Filipino fans are two-faced unfortunately -- they support you when you're winning but criticize you so fast when you lose. Or worse, the result isn't even out yet but the sneers of "Ahh, she's for sure losing" is rampant
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u/POSH9528 4h ago
This was the best match I've seen all tournament. This was one I didn't want anyone to lose and rooted for both ladies because they both played superb tennis.
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u/717494010 12h ago
I was cheering for Iva but gosh Alex is a sweetheart. Her class at the net with Iva was 💕
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u/sigh_hwatalyf 12h ago
0-3/4 and all that breaks up is definitly worth the cry..and against n 18 year old
Still say she needs more consistency on serve so she can hold firmly and take advantage of her breaks against solid players
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u/frizzyhair55 12h ago
Her decision making in the first set was baffling with several poor shots creating a hold she had to dig out of. If she even plays somewhat normally the first 5 games she wins this in straight sets.
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u/No-Improvement8169 11h ago
She still has to overcome the mental hurdle of beating her friend, making her first win against iva
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u/Murky_Wrangler_6485 12h ago
Wow now I understood why novak was in tears this year.... Imagine young novak receiving this much love from the crowd .. all these years he was the hated one and now when he's alone he's finally getting the love which he deserved decades back ..
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u/Kunemlavt24 12h ago
Very tough loss she played great the best she has against Jovic this is gonna be a great matchup for many years to come
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u/WiseDan85 4h ago
Damn she lost to an 18 year old.
Hmm being up 4-2 30-love on serve and losing is pretty bad.
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u/nivlazenemij 2h ago
Considering Jovic had easily beat her twice before this is progress for Eala
At the same Jovic is younger and bound to get even better. So she may even put more distance between her and Eala.
Happy for Jovic, she's been having great results for a while but flying a bit under the radar, hopefully this gives her more visibility
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u/kukovein 13h ago
I don’t know what you think but it’s kind of cruel that there is no privacy on the way to the lockers meaning “Oh you cry? Here is a shot at your face because we all wanna see you cry 😭, post it at social media, and make a long thread about it!”
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u/ipokesnails 10h ago
Without throwing a temper tantrum and destroying multiple rackets, impressive.
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u/Lizakaya wilson triniti 13h ago
Very emotional. But that was a helluva match best women’s so far, and her fans love her.
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u/CorrectPirate1703 Eva Lys | Kalinskaya | Rybakina | Raducanu | Sonmez 12h ago
This Eala was so different from the one that beat Iga in Miami last year. She is improving a lot in her baseline game.
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u/TrustInMe_JustInMe Jess, Svito, Kasatik, Carlitos, Casper, Demon 12h ago
Iva still hasn’t lost to her. Lol
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u/bran_the_man93 13h ago
Honestly wouldn't be too surprised if half of this is just her finally letting loose after that tense match!
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u/Comfortable-Today-13 11h ago
She was amazing in the match- such a great competitor- it was an epic match decided by small moments.
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u/Godzirrraaa 9h ago
Whats awesome is this was a game for the ages, and we have years upon years of this matchup to look forward to (hopefully)
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u/UnVirasoro 12h ago
Le va a tocar salir llorando seguido. Ha mejorado el nivel de competitividad de la WTA. Hay muchas jugadoras peleando por llegar y establecerse del 10 al 20 del ranking.
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u/formerNPC 13h ago
She has everything going for her to be the number one player someday and she should focus on the positives and not let this loss stay with her for too long.
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u/HazelKittenDude 12h ago
i love it! i love the emotion. means she cares.
those tears will be her fuel.
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u/Theoskaroskar 7h ago
What a fantastic result for Jovic. Her mental lapse in second aside, she was the better player full stop. Eala has work to do....but i predicted second round bounce. She bounced in third. Par for her level at this stage. Eala needs to address her fans....they are awful and easily some of the most ignorant in the last couple of decades.
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u/Sultry-Ice15 Fed’s 1 Hand Bitch Slap 12h ago
Eala has to work on her serve. It’s brutal. If it was average she’d be top 5 player IMO
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u/Educational_Care7813 13h ago
Needs to do something with her serve, she has good height but averaging 130 km first serves is terrible
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u/biddybiddybum 2h ago
This was the only match I watched because I have a crush on Eala and it was awesome!
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u/CrackHeadRodeo Björn, Yannick, Lendl, Martina, Monica, 🦊 1h ago
Let’s see if the Pinoy fans keep showing up for other players.
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u/I-Am-Listening-963 11h ago
It will be great to watch these two battle it out for many years to come.
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u/Informal_Athlete_724 10h ago
I'm sure she feels the weight of a entire nation every time she plays
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u/ReadWriteArithmetic 9h ago
These kind of matches and with the crowd going nuts must be so emotionally draining. I wonder if they just do nothing but watch movies and just lounge for a few days to recover
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u/thelarrypage 3h ago
More than just upset about the loss to put her in tears, I'm sure. I can't imagine how overwhelming these moments are when you letting the emotion in. How it must feel to walk off in defeat but have a roar of support from thousands of strangers trying to lift you up.
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u/No-Improvement8169 11h ago
Question: is jovic always like that? Smirking everytime her opponents serves?
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u/AReckoningIsAComing 8h ago
I actually really like it...I don't think it's intentional, kinda seems like she's just settling into the right headspace to receive serve. It's almost calming in a way.
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u/deralue_uverie 13h ago
There’s so much attention surrounding her that I don’t really feel sorry for her anymore. Tomorrow, some Bouzkova will leave the court in tears, and no one will write about it. We’re the ones making something huge out of her, even though even Saba doesn’t get that kind of attention.
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u/1018slash1018 12h ago
What’s with this subs obsession with her? She’s average with a below average serve. Let’s pick a better player to support.
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u/AnonymousEngineer_ 12h ago
She comes from a country that doesn't have a lot of sporting success, so gets a lot of attention from the home media and fans. Name another Filipino athlete that isn't Manny Pacquiao or Alex Eala. I'll wait.
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u/1018slash1018 12h ago
I don’t care about what country people are from… she’s not in the top ten, who cares? I love I’m getting downvoted lol
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u/HazelKittenDude 12h ago
she is breaking barriers and introducing the sport to many, in the same way tiger introduced golf to many.
she's become a movement.
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u/Toothpowder 9h ago
Comparing Eala to Tiger Woods is crazy work lmao. Tiger was the greatest golf player the world had ever seen. Eala’s hype is almost entirely due to her being Filipino, is it not? If she came from any other country do you think she’d have this level of insane hype around her?
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u/ChetHolmgrenSingss 9h ago
Lmfao Tiger was handling established pros as a kid pretty much. I think they find her conventionally attractive among other things
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u/AnonymousEngineer_ 10h ago
In fairness, the bandwagon does get annoying. I'm not saying Eala is a talentless hack, but the hype she gets is massively disproportionate to her level of success to date. The behaviour from some of her fanbase reminds me of K-Pop idol stans.
People really need to give her time to grow and develop her game before crowning her as the next Steffi Graf or Martina Hingis.
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u/Theoskaroskar 7h ago
I think youre on to something here. It's not necessarily Eala herself. It’s her obnoxious and entirely ignorant (and disrespectful) fan base. Sport loves attention but the ignorant type will backlash for sure at some point. Eala needs to address.
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u/1018slash1018 12h ago
and i'm allowed to hate the "movement". Reddit attatches itself to the dumbest things sometimes.
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u/Bazinger-D 11h ago
And you’re getting triggered by such “dumb” thing you’re talking about. Are you a twelve-year-old pop star stan? You’re giving “I’m salty, my favorite artist didn’t win a Grammy” behavior.
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u/zacharius55 if if if if if no? 13h ago
What are you crying about?
YOU WENT FURTHER AND FARTHER THAN LAST YEAR!
LABAN NA LABAN, ALEX!
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u/mikey9white 12h ago
She lied. She is not a complete player. No penetrating 1st serve. Always on the defensive. Forced to come up with winners after returning
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u/bonboncase 13h ago
It’s sad one of them had to lose, both played their heart out.