Maria Sharapova recently spoke with American actress Zoë Saldaña on her podcast, prompting a response from Alexandra Eala. The Filipina’s response led to her securing a special invitation from the five-time Grand Slam champion to appear on the podcast.
On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, Sharapova released the first episode of her new podcast, “Pretty Tough,” in collaboration with Vox Media. The inaugural episode featured Saldaña, with upcoming guests including Jeanie Buss, comedian Chelsea Handler, and many others.
Alexandra Eala Reacts to Maria Sharapova’s Interview With Zoë Saldaña, Draws a Response From the Former World No. 1
Sharapova turned professional in 2001 and during her career won 36 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including five Grand Slam singles titles: two at the French Open and one each at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
Sharapova was ranked world No. 1 in the WTA rankings, claimed a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics, and achieved numerous other accomplishments. She retired from professional tennis in February 2020 and, in 2025, was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.
Recently, the official social media page for Sharapova’s “Pretty Tough” podcast shared a clip of her conversation with Saldaña.
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The aforementioned video prompted Eala to express her awe at the “crossover” between her “idol” Sharapova and Saldaña.
“Omg this crossover 🤩,” Eala commented.
In response to Eala’s admiration, Sharapova invited her to record an episode for the podcast.
“@alex.eala let’s record an episode together 🙌,” Sharapova replied.
Meanwhile, Eala began her run on the clay court swing of the tour at the 2026 Linz Open, where she defeated Julia Grabher (6-4, 6-3) in the first round before being eliminated by Jeļena Ostapenko (4-6, 5-7) in the second round. She then competed at the 2026 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, where she lost (1-6, 4-6) to Leylah Fernandez in the first round.
Currently, Eala is in Spain for the 2026 Madrid Open. She started her campaign by defeating qualifier Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (6-3, 6-3) in the first round and will next face 19th seed Elise Mertens in the second round.
Eala and Mertens have met only once on the WTA Tour, in the first round of the 2023 Jasmin Open in Tunisia, where the Belgian secured a 7-5, 6-0 win. Mertens then went on to defeat Jasmine Paolini in the final to defend her title.
The winner of the second round match between Eala and Mertens at the 2026 Madrid Open will advance to meet either 33rd seed Maria Sakkari or Karolína Plíšková in the third round of the tournament.
