Why feeling tired is a badge of honor for World No. 17 Alex Eala - GMA Network

HONG KONG — The “tired” question once again came up Thursday night shortly after Alexandra Eala won her second-round match against Tereza Valentová at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open.

Eala gave a passionate reply to the query by emphasizing that players who are ganado — a term meaning eager or motivated — are bound to get tired as they give the sport everything they have.

“When you face opponents like Tereza and opponents who are just as motivated and just as ganado, I guess is the word, you'll give everything that you have physically and mentally,” she said.

Eala noted that getting tired is simply part of being an athlete, but so are recovery and the discipline to step back onto the court and repeat the cycle.

“At the end of the day, I'm an athlete. So, I get tired, I recover, and then I go back and I do it again. It's a constant effort to do it again and again and again and again, no matter whether you're tired or you feel like you can climb Mount Everest,” she said during a press conference on Thursday night, November 5.

Earlier in the tournament on Tuesday, November 3, Eala also addressed concerns regarding fatigue, pointing out that feeling tired on the professional tour is a blessing that signifies high-level competition and health.

“If I'm tired and I'm World No. 17 in the world, that's great. Being tired is a blessing as well. Being tired means that I've been working hard, I've been having lots of matches, competing a lot. Being tired means that I'm healthy enough to work,” she said.

“I'm healthy enough and in a healthy mindset to put myself in these situations of pressure. So, yes, I think I'm doing great. Amazing.”

On Friday, November 6, Eala will face Croatia's Antonia Ružić at the Victoria Park Centre Court for a spot in the semifinals of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. — BAP, GMA News