Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala will bring with her the ‘aggressive style’ that her late grandfather Roberto “Bobby” Maniego instilled in her going into her first-round encounter in the National Bank Open at the IGA Stadium in Montreal, Canada on Sunday.
It was Eala’s grandfather “Bob”, who taught her how to play aggressively when she was just eight years old, according to Eala.
“He was a huge part of my life and young career. He was my first and only coach until I moved to Spain. He was the one who showed up every day and put in the work. So much of my foundation—my mentality, my bravery on court—comes from the tough love and sacrifice he gave me and my brother,” said Eala before she left Manila.
Eala, whose world rankings dropped from 56th to 69th this week, is set to fight 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic in the Round of 128.
The world no. 65th Vondrousova, who reached a career-best 6th in September, 2023, is expected to make things tough for Eala in the tournament, also known as the Canadian Open.
Vondrousova last played at the Wimbledon earlier this month, reaching the second round, but losing to 2021 US Open champ Emma Raducanu of United Kingdom, 3-6, 3-6.
Eala last fought at Wimbledon, where she met defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejčíková in the first round and lost in three sets, 6-3, 2-6, 1-6.
The 5’9” lefty netter still made history, becoming the first Filipina to have played at the Wimbledon main draw.
