"I need to get a haircut, my nails are growing out": Rest and relaxation on the brain for Alexandra Eala as Canadian Open run halted

Alexandra Eala was dumped out of the Canadian Open by Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-0 to the Swiss ace in the fourth round on Sunday night as her hopes of completing back-to-back titles fell by the wayside.

But it isn't all doom and gloom for the Filipino who was just glad to produce another good run and take positives from a week where her stardom again reached next heights as the tournament took advantage and the phones were ringing off the hook for her tickets.

"Belinda put me in some tough situations. I think she played really well. I wasn’t able to kind of get myself out of a certain mode. So, overall, really good week. I am super happy with the run that I’ve had, and, yeah, going to try recover and come back out hot, yeah," said Eala post match.

Going off court, she also added that she was just trying to take it all in and that she knew of course that she wouldn't be back for a long while so was looking back with great fondness at what she achieved.

"No, I was just trying to, I mean, of course I knew it was my last time, the last time that I was going to be out on that court for a while. The atmosphere this whole week has been just incredible. It’s been, it’s hard to describe to other people kind of the feeling of being in that stadium, full of the fans and all the love. So, yeah, I’m super grateful for the experiences that I’ve had here in Toronto. It’s been an amazing debut. Yeah, I’ll carry these memories with me for a really long time."

It was her first experience in Toronto and being friends with Zeynep Sonmez she added that it is one that she knows herself is very passionate not only for her but also for Eala it seemed. "I learned that they’re very passionate. They’re very kind. I learned that it’s very multicultural. So it’s a mixing pot of cultures and personalities and passions, I guess. It’s nice to see tennis be a medium for them to come together and kind of celebrate the things they love. I know, of course, for example, the Filipino community, I know the Turkish community came out for Zeynep [Sonmez]. I know, of course, for your hometown heroes, they showed up. So, amazing, really amazing, amazing experience, yeah."

Selling chicken adobo on the grounds for instance and putting her on Centre Court constantly raised debate, but it also showed that in theory her rise is a mere drop in the ocean. "I think it’s, I mean, you can see, I am kind of just like a drop in the ocean, you know, when it comes to Filipinos and their pride for their culture and where they come from. Me, I do a lot to kind of represent my country, and I’m very proud of it. But you see, I mean, the stadium was full of people who do the same thing, right? I guess that just shows you what kind of a community we are, and what kind of a people we are, and how supportive we are of each other, yeah."

After a while on the road she also joked that in reality she will take a few days off to take her mind off tennis and get a haircut and her nails done after a while of not being able to "I definitely will take maybe two days off, a day or two. I do have to travel to Cincinnati. I need to get a haircut. I haven’t gotten a haircut in a while. My nails are grown out (laughing). So, yeah, I’ll do a couple things, just to get my mind off tennis. I think Toronto’s a great place to do that. Yeah, reunite maybe with some friends in Cincinnati, and just try to have fun. I’ll be back on court (snaps fingers) like that, so I got to enjoy what I have. I got to enjoy the time that I have that I’m not on court."

"It’s always tough, of course, after a loss. But like I said, I’m looking back at these past two weeks as a really big positive. I think I’ve played really well, I’ve gotten through so many obstacles. Of course, right now there’s that initial just kind of a little tired and down from the match. But, yeah, I think, I mean, I’m healthy, which is something I’m super grateful for. It’s something that’s obviously on the top of my priority all the time. So, yeah I’m counting my blessings. I’m taking the lessons that I’ve had from these two weeks and hopefully implementing them even more in a better way in Cincinnati and New York, yeah."