‘Maybe I’m a long-lost Filipina!’ World No. 1 Iga Swiatek hails Alex Eala’s ‘warrior spirit’ despite Indian Wells exit and reveals her growing bond with ‘amazing’ Filipino fans

• Iga Swiatek offered a touching tribute to rising star Alex Eala after the Filipina fell to Linda Noskova in the Round of 16 at Indian Wells.

• The World No. 1 admitted she is eager for a rematch with the 20-year-old, praising her ‘warrior spirit’ despite the straight-sets loss.

• Swiatek also joked about her own connection to the Philippines after being flooded with gifts and support from the ‘Pinoy’ faithful in California.

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER PUBLISHED

Iga Swiatek has opened up about her admiration for Philippine tennis sensation Alex Eala, labeling the youngster a ‘warrior’ and jokingly claiming she might be a ‘long-lost Filipina’ herself due to the overwhelming support she has received from the Southeast Asian nation’s fans.

The Polish superstar, currently dominating the draw at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, took time out of her busy schedule to reflect on Eala’s breakthrough run in the desert, which came to a disappointing end on Wednesday at the hands of world No. 14 Linda Noskova.

Eala, 20, had captured the imagination of the tennis world by reaching the Round of 16 — including a shock victory following Coco Gauff’s injury retirement — but she struggled to find her rhythm against the clinical Noskova, falling 6-2, 6-0 in just 56 minutes.

‘She has the spirit of a warrior’

Speaking after the match, Swiatek was quick to offer words of encouragement to the Rafa Nadal Academy graduate.

‘First, I want to congratulate Linda on her victory. She played a very solid match today,’ Swiatek told reporters. ‘But I feel for Alex Eala. She didn’t have her best form today, and it’s tough when things don’t click on such a big stage.’

Despite the one-sided scoreline, which many experts had predicted given Noskova’s blistering form this season, Swiatek insisted that Eala’s potential remains sky-high.

‘Even though the experts said she was the underdog and likely to lose today, I never looked at it that way,’ Swiatek admitted. ‘I’ve always known that with her warrior spirit, she had the quality to go all the way to the final here. She fights for every point, and that is something you cannot teach.’

The five-time Grand Slam champion, who suffered a historic upset loss to Eala at the Miami Open exactly a year ago, made it clear that she is hungry for another battle with the Filipina.

‘I really want to play her again,’ Swiatek said with a smile. ‘Our matches are always intense, and she pushes me in ways other players don’t. She is great for the game.’

‘A long-lost Filipina’

Perhaps the most surprising part of Swiatek’s press conference was her glowing review of the Filipino fans, who have turned the Indian Wells Tennis Garden into a mini-Manila over the past week.

The ‘Eala-mania’ has seemingly spilled over to Swiatek’s own matches, with the World No. 1 noticing a significant ‘Pinoy’ presence in her corner.

‘The Philippine fans are honestly amazing,’ Swiatek laughed. ‘There were so many of them at my match today, cheering for me. Many of them even brought me gifts and souvenirs after the game. It was so sweet.’

The 24-year-old Pole then joked that the bond has become so strong she feels a part of the community.

‘Haha, maybe I am a long-lost Filipina myself!’ she quipped. ‘The way they embrace me and show so much love, it’s really special. I feel very lucky to have that kind of support from a country so far away.’

The ‘Sunshine Swing’ Continues

Eala’s exit marks the end of a historic week for Philippine tennis. By reaching the fourth round of a WTA 1000 event, she is projected to break into the World’s Top 30 for the first time in her career when the rankings are updated next Monday.

For Swiatek, the focus remains on securing her third Indian Wells title. However, with the Miami Open just around the corner, the prospect of a Swiatek-Eala rematch remains the ‘dream draw’ for thousands of fans in the Philippines and beyond.

As Eala heads to Florida to defend her ranking points from last year’s Cinderella run, she does so with the ultimate seal of approval from the best player in the world.