Is Alex Eala going to be the greatest Filipina tennis player?
At 17 years old, Eala will embark on her Grand Slam pro debut in the Australian Open Qualifiers set January 9 to 12.
The year 2022 was a memorable season for the Filipina teener, who climbed from more than 300 notches no. 214 in the world ranking.
She opened the year with a victory over Marcela Zacarias of Mexico, 6-3, 7-6 on new year’s day in the opening round of the W60 Canberra International, her warm-up tournament before her Aussie Open qualifier.
“Starting off the new year with a good win and a new partner,” Eala posted on her social media page, referring to the Bank of Philippine Island as her newest sponsor.
Interestingly, she bowed to her French Open doubles’ partner Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6 in the second round of the Canberra netfest.
Nonetheless, Eala is set to make a big impression, hoping to carry with her all the experiences and knowledge gained as a scholar of the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy since she was 13.
But she vowed not to let her feet firmly planted on the ground.
She proved that by speaking in Filipino after winning the US Open Juniors’ Open last November.
“If I think about it, it will get to my head. I try not to make it a big deal. There’s always going to be someone more famous. I’m still not where I want to be, and that, most of all, is what keeps me grounded—the motivation to improve and the motivation to achieve my bigger goals,” she told WTA in an interview.