Photos from alex.eala, oliviarodrigo/Instagram
NEW YORK — If Alex Eala could hit the road with any pop star, her choice would be Olivia Rodrigo.
The Filipina tennis standout gave the quick answer during an interview with The Cut while attending the Tory Burch show at New York Fashion Week, offering another glimpse of her personality as she enjoyed a break from competition and stepped into the fashion spotlight.
Asked which “pop girl” she would like to go on a road trip with, Eala answered: “Olivia Rodrigo. Oh my god, hands down, Olivia Rodrigo. I love her.”
View this post on Instagram
You may like: Alex Eala draws US media spotlight at US Open
The choice brings together two young stars with Filipino roots who have built international followings in very different arenas.
Rodrigo, a Filipino American singer-songwriter, has become one of her generation’s biggest pop stars, while Eala has emerged as one of the Philippines’ most recognizable athletes following her rise on the international tennis circuit.
New York spotlight beyond tennis
Eala’s appearance at New York Fashion Week comes as her growing interest in style attracts attention beyond the tennis world.
View this post on Instagram
Just weeks earlier, fashion icon and former Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour singled out the young Filipina during the US Open, praising her curiosity about fashion and describing her as part of a generation of athletes embracing the increasingly close relationship between sports and style.
“You could see even in such a young star how interested she is in fashion. How she wants to learn about it and follow it, and I think it’s great,” Wintour said.
That interest was on full display at New York Fashion Week, where Eala took in the Tory Burch show – moving from center court to the fashion crowd.
She was in star-studded company in the front row, alongside Wintour, Hollywood actress Amanda Seyfried and singer Lauryn Hill, among other high-profile guests.
The post Alex Eala picks Olivia Rodrigo as her dream road-trip companion appeared first on USNewsRank.