Bianca Andreescu reveals reason behind her heartwarming gesture for Alexandra Eala: "Nobody was friendly with me on tour"

WTA star Bianca Andreescu opened up about why she extended a hand of friendship to Alexandra Eala. The Canadian player remembered the harsh reality of competitiveness she witnessed during her early professional days. Proceeding with the idea of not letting the current generation face the same, she narrated the story of her first meeting with the young star.

19-year-old WTA star Alexandra Eala is all set to test her levels on clay. The Filipino has a major challenge lined up with Iga Swiatek as her opening match rival. The match is already a highlight for fans because of their last showdown in Miami. The young champ stunned the tennis world by defeating top-ranked pros, including Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, and others, to book her spot in the Miami Open semifinals.

Ahead of the highly anticipated showdown between Eala and Swiatek in Miami, Bianca Andreescu stepped forward to talk about her friendship with the 19-year-old. Remembering their first encounter in Thailand, the WTA star explained why she reached out to the rising player.

"I met her in Thailand and it was two years ago and I remember watching her play, and I knew she was going to be good. And yeah, she’s a really good person. And if I put myself in her shoes in a was, obviously its different. But I’m going to be honest, I didn’t have anybody reach out to me. And nobody was friendly with me on the tour. No one would say hi to me," she told the National.

Sharing her difficult experience, the Canadian expressed her firm approach to being the icebreaker for the upcoming generation.

"I told myself, I don’t want the next generation to feel that way. I know it’s like a competitive environment but at the same time, us women, we are the only ones that really understand each other. So I reached out to her and she knows she can come to me," she added.

Alexandra Eala booked her second showdown against Iga Swiatek with a victory over Viktoriya Tomova. Her Round of 64 match is scheduled to be played on April 24.

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Iga Swiatek shares her understanding of Alexandra Eala's intentions

Alexandra Eala at the Miami Open Presented by Itau 2025 - Day 10 - Source: Getty

Alexandra Eala's performance against Iga Swiatek gave the Pole a clear idea of the young rival's intentions. After the Filipinos' 6-2, 7-5 win at the Miami Open quarterfinals, Swiatek expressed shock over her aggressive approach.

Swiatek mentioned how some of her shots were completely unexpected from a newcomer and therefore highlighted her thoughts on Eala's ambitions.

"Well, for sure, I didn't know she's going to play that flat, but besides that, well, she was really aggressive, you know, and she kept her focus. And, like, I don't know, some of these shots were pretty like out of nowhere. But still, you know, I could see clearly she has intentions to go forward and to push. So it worked for her today, for sure," the 5-time Grand Slam champion said, via tennisworld.

The upcoming rematch becomes even more interesting after the unexpected outcome from their last meeting. With increased attention on Alexandra Eala, it still remains to be seen if she continues to dominate or if Swiatek gets her revenge.