Eala has also become more deliberate about what she absorbs from social media. She said she sees a “good chunk” of what is written about her online, but has learnt that her relationship with “online noise” is another boundary she needs to manage.
“I definitely appreciate criticism. At times, I think it is very helpful. But I can’t value too much an opinion where they don’t know the whole story, or if it’s unsolicited.”
When the attention becomes hectic, Eala said she composes herself by empathising with others – particularly those of excited supporters – which helps her understand their reactions better.
“I’ve learned the importance of compartmentalising; I’m also now familiar with what keeps me sane and what keeps me happy and healthy, so I focus on that,” she said.
SINGAPORE AS ANOTHER ‘HOME’
Constant travel is an unavoidable part of professional tennis. For Eala, however, travelling from tournament to tournament no longer feels like going on holiday.
Nevertheless, having somewhere comfortable to decompress is important, as it allows her to “wind down”, she said, before stepping out again ready to train, compete or explore wherever she happens to be.
“I do travel a lot because of what I do, so it’s become a part of my life,” she said. “And now, I have so many ‘homes’ around the world.”
Singapore is one of those places that carries an added sense of familiarity.
Eala competed here at the WTA Future Stars event in 2016 and 2017. At 11, she received the prestigious Li Na Inspiration Award, a sportsmanship honour presented during the youth tennis tournament.
“I love Singapore. I used to compete here very often as a kid because this was one of the hubs for tennis in Southeast Asia,” she told CNA Lifestyle. “There’s also obviously a very huge Filipino community here. I do have close relatives here that, whenever I was in town, I’d go see.”
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