MANILA, Philippines — Former Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova expressed her admiration for Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala, whom she has been following on the WTA Tour for quite some time. Sharapova shared her praise for the Filipina netter during an episode of her podcast, Pretty Tough, which is currently a major hit across various streaming platforms. Sharapova admitted that she has watched several of Eala's matches, following her journey from breaking into the top 100 to reaching her current ranking as World No. 18 in the WTA standings. “I’ve been following you for several years now. I’ve watched your journey in the last few years flourish to where you are today,” Sharapova said. While Eala still has a long way ahead in her career, Sharapova believes the young star has what it takes to reach the pinnacle of success, citing how well she manages her matches. “You have a long way to go, but it is so impressive to see how you’ve handled and navigated everything,” Sharapova added. Among the highlights Sharapova pointed out was Eala's impressive run at Wimbledon in London, England, where she knocked out 2025 Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek from the competition. Sharapova was equally impressed by Eala’s composure and eloquence during her post-match interviews. “It was this powerful, moving moment, especially your interview after, because there’s this combination of being gritty and persevering and being honest about your ability to fight and win,” Sharapova noted. The tennis icon added that she thoroughly enjoys watching Eala express herself in interviews. “And then being soft and vulnerable and honest,” Sharapova remarked. Eala could not hide her excitement and delight upon hearing Sharapova's high praise during their conversation. Sharapova is one of Eala’s childhood idols in the tennis world, and Eala even showed a photo of the two of them taken when she was still a young kid. TMT