Coco Gauff and Alexandra Eala clashed for the very first time on the WTA Tour recently.
In the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, Gauff handed Eala a heavy defeat, beating her in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2.
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The American came out on top despite the crowd heavily favouring the Filipino, which has been a common theme for the latter since she burst onto the scene last year.
Eala‘s fan base has shown strong support at every tour-level event she has appeared at, but former American player Steve Johnson was surprised to see such a one-sided crowd when she played Gauff.
John Isner and Steve Johnson discuss Alex Eala’s popularity
Discussing Eala’s popularity in an episode of ‘Nothing Major‘, Johnson said: “If you compare like the non-Slam winners, the only comparable in recent times would be [Joao] Fonseca.
“Like they’re moving courts in Miami. He’s got the biggest crowd anywhere he goes. Like every court he is on is full, pretty much anywhere in the world.
“Like comparable ranking, not skill level, but like, you know, you can’t say Rafa [Nadal] or Roger [Federer], like they’re winning slams at a young age. You’re the biggest stars in the world. Alcaraz, right?
“So I would say Fonseca is like the closest comparison just because of the age. Like they haven’t, you know, hit the top of the mountaintop.
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“They’re not Slam winners yet. And yet they still command a centre court presence or at least, worst case, a second court presence at pretty much every event that they’re at, because they will fill the stands.
“I mean, she played Coco in Doha (Actually Dubai). It was like 99% her in the stands, which is not normal. Because Coco usually, you know, commands a high, you know, percentage of fan support and she was not getting it.”
John Isner says Alex Eala’s popularity is good for the WTA Tour
Responding to Johnson, former Wimbledon semifinalist John Isner said: “I mean, she’s a superstar by virtue of, you know, where she’s from, right? She’s got such a big following.
“So it’s a little bit different than, you know, like Jennifer Capriati winning a Grand Slam at some absurd age or Tracy Austin winning a Grand Slam.
“So, you know, it’s a bit like Osaka, I think. She’s got that huge market behind her. But, you know, she hasn’t had the success that Osaka’s had yet. It could be coming.
“Yeah. I mean, she’s one of the hottest tickets right now on the WTA tour for sure. Without her ranking being in the top 10. So, I mean, it’s good for the tour. I mean, obviously it’s just more eyeballs. It’s great atmospheres. It’s fantastic.”
Eala has a win-loss record of 10-6 so far this season, having appeared in six tour-level events.
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