What defines Alex Eala's tennis style? 'Brave, flexible,' she says

At just 21 years old, Alexandra “Alex” Eala has been making waves in the global tennis community as she continues to achieve major feats in the sport.

On Friday (Saturday, Philippine time), Eala pulled off another upset against world No. 10 Elina Svitolina, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the DC Open semifinals.

The victory marked her second win over Svitolina, her eighth overall victory against a top-10 player, and her sixth such win this year alone.

“It was tough, but good, but good. I'm really, really happy. I had fun out there. I think it was a great battle, so I'm really happy,” she told Tennis Channel in an interview.

With a full season on tour already behind her and a continued climb up the rankings, Eala said she remains focused on training and improving her game.

“Practice, practice, a good mentality, a will to win, a will to endure and try to find solutions,” the Filipina ace added when asked about how she always gives her best.

“I mean, that's what I strive for. I can't say that I'm perfect at it, definitely far from perfect, but that's what I strive to be.”

But what makes her brand of tennis distinct?

“I would say brave. I'd say brave, flexible. I try to be a more versatile player. That's one of the things I've been working on... to have kind of different solutions and try to be patient,” Eala said.

“And I try not to be a one-dimensional player. That's something I'm working on, but we'll see.”

Eala will take on Naomi Osaka next in the semifinals early Sunday morning, marking their first on-court faceoff.

“It means a lot. You know, it's a semifinal of a [WTA] 500. Of course, against Naomi makes it more special. She's such an accomplished player and I think has made waves both on and off the court for such a long time. So I'm really excited for this matchup.”

—JKC, GMA News