Jessica Pegula added another title to her collection last night, beating Elina Svitolina to win the Dubai Tennis Championships.

Pegula came through a tough week to finish on top, overcoming an in-form opponent without too much trouble.

But while the 31-year-old American took home the title, Alexandra Eala had already made her mark earlier in the tournament.

Eala once again drew large crowds wherever she played, and her impact was felt throughout the week. Her influence even reached into Pegula’s press conference after the final.

Jessica Pegula says Alexandra Eala’s rise in tennis is different to anything she has seen

Asked about the Filipina teenager who has been making headlines with her growing following, Pegula spoke positively about Eala’s influence.

The world number five highlighted how impressed she has been by Eala’s maturity and composure, saying: “Yeah, Alex is amazing.

“The way she’s been able to pack stadiums and the way her country supports her is something special. She handles it so maturely, with such grace. She seems so appreciative of all the support she gets. Always seems to have a good head on her shoulders and a good attitude about it.

“It’s amazing. I played her when she kind of broke out last year in Miami. I’m from there. The whole crowd was against me. I was like, What on earth is going on? Where did these people come from?

“Week after week as she has done well and established herself as a really good player on tour, they all come out to support her. I think we saw that in Australia, when it was kind of overcrowded, they put her on too small of a court.

“We saw it here. You can hear it from the hotel. You can hear the crowd roaring at night. It’s incredible. I think it’s awesome for what she’s doing for the sport. She’s a perfect role model for it. I’m sure she wants to inspire girls, Filipino girls, to play tennis and go after their dream. It’s awesome for the sport. Yeah, it’s really, really cool. I think we just had a tournament there that she played.”

Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula have similar praise for Alexandra Eala

Even though Eala has only been on the professional tour for just under a year, her impact is already turning heads across tennis.

Her fanbase is not just large; it is among the most passionate in sport and it seems to be getting louder with every tournament she enters.

Pegula noted that one of the most impressive things about Eala isn’t just her growing popularity, but how calmly she handles the weight of expectation from so many people looking to her for inspiration.

Coco Gauff noticed that same composure during their recent match, saying afterwards: “I’d like to thank Alex for bringing a new demographic to the sport. I really appreciate it. I think it’s great.

“I know sometimes it’s tough when you’re playing against a ‘home’ crowd, but I think that it’s great for the sport, so keep being enthusiastic, and keep rooting for your player.”

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