"I feel like she has more pressure than I do": Coco Gauff 'can't really empathise' with Alexandra Eala
WTAMonday, 07 September 2026 at 12:38
While she won't face Alexandra Eala and instead takes on a certain Iva Jovic in the fourth round at the US Open later this evening, Coco Gauff was asked about Eala and said that she can't really empathise with the pressure that is on her shoulders.
Eala became the first Filipino to win a WTA singles title last month and has risen to World No.18 in the WTA rankings. After losing to Iva Jovic, Eala got emotional at the support she gets during her press conference. Gauff now meets Jovic and the 22-year-old American was asked if she can relate with Eala.
Gauff was lumbered early doors with being compared to Serena Williams and has since tried to bat off trying to be this top name in that she doesn't particularly want to be playing during the night sessions at tournaments and has let her tennis do the talking over what Americans want her to be.
So while she says otherwise, Gauff has been given this pressure from a young age. But while she says that ultimately she gets it, she said she isn't the same when it comes to that and that Eala in fact has broken a lot of barriers and has the huge weight of expectation thrust upon her shoulders that not many have.
Coco Gauff can't empathise with Eala.
Eala has broken barriers Gauff hasn't
On her US Open debut last year, Eala became the first Filipino player to win a match during the Open era, and has this year reached the fourth round at Wimbledon as well as the third round in New York only losing to one of her best friends in Iva Jovic.
A player who she in fact has a poor record against perhaps clouded by the fact that they are such good friends off court. But while that is the case Gauff admits, she said that she can't exactly empathise with it.
"No, I can't at all, because she's the first Filipino player to break a lot of the barriers that she's done, especially on the female side," said Gauff after her latest win.
"When you speak of athletes from the Philippines, she's doing similar things to what Manny Pacquiao is doing for her country.
"I'm lucky to be from the US, where we had a lot of icons to look up to, people who have already broken down doors for me to be here where I am.
"I can't really empathise in that aspect. The only way I can is maybe just the hype of everyone expecting you to win every single match."
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"From the outside looking in, she has more pressure," Gauff added.
"I have a lot of respect for her and what she's doing, but I can't really empathise. I feel like she has more pressure than I do."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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