But according to Eala, she never saw herself doing anything other than what she did on Wednesday, when she beat five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek to make the semifinals at the Miami Open. Eala was asked by a reporter, “Is this the type of success you envisioned for yourself on the WTA level?” She didn’t hesitate in her answer.
“Of course,” she said.
“I think every single player here has envisioned themselves as a successful tennis player. This is the goal, to do well on the WTA Tour, to win Slams. In the end, the goal is to win Slams, to get the rankings. I think this is a good step towards where I want to be.”
WATCH: Eala reflects on biggest career win at Miami Open
There’s a mix of calmness and relentlessness in that answer. If you want to reach a goal, she seems to be saying, the only rational thing to do is to move forward, step by step, to achieve it, and not let any pointless doubts or distractions get in your way.
And that’s pretty much how Eala plays. There’s an appealing simplicity about her game: She stands close to the baseline, she takes the ball early and on the rise, she uses uncomplicated strokes, she hits hard and flat with a healthy margin of error, she attacks second serves and tries to gain the advantage right away. Her signature weapon is her easy-breezy down the line forehand, which she goes for whenever she can, and which her opponents have no time to react to.
