Twice beaten by Alex Eala, Donna Vekic finds comfort in Manila’s warmth

Donna Vekic has played on the biggest stages in world tennis, reaching the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2024 and winning a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

But for the Croatian star, she has found comfort in the warmth of Manila’s weather and its people.

Vekic is in the Philippines to compete in the Philippine Women’s Open, and she has welcomed both the conditions and the reception since her arrival.

“I heard that a lot of work has been done in the last couple of weeks for all of this to come together,” Vekic said on Monday. “The courts are nice, it’s very humid, and that usually suits my game, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Manila, however, is currently experiencing relatively cooler conditions due to the Amihan, which has tempered the usual heat.

While she enjoys playing in humid weather, Vekic also spoke warmly about the support shown to Filipino star Alex Eala — whom she has faced twice this month, at the ASB Classic in New Zealand and the Kooyong Classic exhibition in Melbourne.

“I’ve played her two times, I lost two times, so I think she has a good relationship with me,” Vekic joked. “But no, I don’t know her that well, but she seems like a really sweet girl.”

Despite the crowd largely backing Eala in those matches, Vekic said she also felt embraced by fans — a factor that helped convince her to play in Manila following her first-round exit at the Australian Open against Mirra Andreeva.

“I’m really happy to be here,” she said. “I played her in Auckland and in Melbourne — one was an exhibition — and the support for her has been absolutely insane.

“And after the match in Kooyong, I said, ‘Maybe you guys will adopt me.’ And I definitely feel like you have. I’ve felt the support since I arrived.”

Now, Vekic is eager to experience the Manila crowd again — whether they are cheering for her or against her, especially if another matchup with Eala materializes.

“I enjoy it when it’s a big crowd, good atmosphere,” she said. “Even if they’re not cheering for me, it’s nice.”

Vekic opens her Philippine Women’s Open campaign against Japan’s Kyoka Okamura on Tuesday.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News