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The
17-year-old
beat
the
Czech
Republic’s
junior
French
Open
winner
Lucie
Havlickova
6-2
6-4
and
did
not
drop
a
set
in
all
six
singles
matches
she
played
in
New
York.
As
well
as
training
at
22-time
grand
slam
winner
Nadal’s
academy
in
Mallorca
for
a
number
of
years,
Eala
has
taken
inspiration
from
the
Spanish
left-hander
too.
“I
think
my
idol
is
obviously
Rafa.
But
I’m
not
just
saying
that
because
I’m
in
his
academy,”
she
said.
“He’s
a
very
good
role
model,
something
a
lot
of
people
should
idolise
and
try
to
be.
The
biggest
thing
I
notice
in
Rafa
is
how
he
fights
till
the
end,
how
his
thoughts
are
so
clear.
He’s
so
calm,
but
at
the
same
time
so
fired
up.
I
think
I
really
tried
to
channel
that
energy
during
this
whole
week.
“That’s
also
what
I
tried
to
show,
to
people
who
look
up
to
me,
to
think
with
a
clear
head
and
to
not
act
irrationally.”
All
the
emotions
for
Alexandra
Eala.The
🇵🇭
makes
history,
winning
her
first
junior
Grand
slam
singles
🏆
in
straight
sets.
pic.twitter.com/j1B1NycZ5r—
US
Open
Tennis
(@usopen)
September
10,
2022
Eala
was
the
10th
seed
in
New
York
and
toppled
the
second
seed
in
the
title
match,
for
a
result
she
described
as
“very
overwhelming”.
Last
year’s
women’s
singles
runner-up
Leylah
Fernandez
is
a
player
whose
mother
is
Filipino
Canadian,
while
Emma
Raducanu,
who
beat
Fernandez,
has
a
Chinese
mother.
“I
think
the
final
last
year
was
very
groundbreaking,
something
very
special,”
said
Eala.
“They’re
both
young
and
both
from
diverse
backgrounds.
It
definitely
hit
a
lot
of
people.”
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