Alex Eala opened up about how she is adjusting to her growing popularity in the tennis world and the increased public attention that comes with it.
"I do get recognized a couple of times. I think that's one of the signs where I'm like, 'Oh, okay. My popularity has really grown because then I get recognized in like the smallest cities.' Like there will be sometimes people will come up and ask for a picture or something like that. So yeah, I guess that's one of the things that have also changed," she said in an interview with Forbes.
As her profile continues to rise, Alex admitted that having more aspects of her life under the public eye is something she has had to get used to.
"One thing that I've had to get used to is that basically everything I do is is kind of under the public eye. So all the trainings are accessible to the public and it's not that I don't have privacy, but it's a little bit less now and something I've had to get used to," she confessed.
The Filipina tennis star said having spectators watch her during training sessions has been an adjustment for her.
"The training especially is kind of something I had a difficult time getting used to or adjusting to because I've always been comfortable playing matches in front of crowds and because that's kind of when I'm so locked in and I'm just in that zone," she said.
The Filipino tennis star went on: "But then when I'm training, you know, it's a time for me to get vulnerable and to work on my weaknesses and it's a place where I basically build myself up. So that's something that I've had to adjust."
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In the same interview, Alex also reflected on the responsibility that comes with representing the Philippines on the international tennis stage.
"I think it's made me very self-demanding in terms of how I behave and I understand what I carry when I'm on court. I understand who looks up to me and what I represent. So, I think this whole experience of being this big representation of the Philippines has really made me be self-aware and it really makes me want to be the best version of myself," she highlighted.