Read more: Is Nadal Academy prodigy Alexandra Eala the next tennis star?
All that together led to a puzzingly muted reaction from Eala on Wednesday when Swiatek’s final backhand floated past the baseline. In the immedicay of such a seismic win, a player might scream, jump for joy, or fall to the ground. But Eala did none of that. Instead, she simply stared into space, looking on the verge of tears, as her eyes grew wide with a half-shrug.
While the emotions overtook her after she shook Swiatek’s hand, Eala later explained what froze her in time to begin with.
Q. When that last point was played and Iga hit that ball long, I couldn’t decide whether it looked like you were about to cry or you were crying, or you were just in a state of shock?
ALEXANDRA EALA: I couldn’t decide either (smiling). I think I was so in the moment, and I made it a point to be in the moment every point that it’s hard to realize what just happened. It’s hard to realize that you won the match.
I really tried to soak it all in, because this has never happened to me before, and that’s why I was looking at the screen. You know, I really wanted to keep that moment in my mind.
