MANILA, Philippines – As Alex Eala enjoys a historic campaign in the Miami Open, she is convinced Philippine tennis can reach even greater heights.
Eala said the country has a “lot of hidden talent” in the sport she hopes will gain more traction following a series of colossal wins that catapulted her to the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event, a first for a Filipino tennis player.
Defying great odds, the Filipina teen defeated three Grand Slam champions in succession, eliminating world No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland, No. 5 Madison Keys of the United States, and No. 25 Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia.
“I think that tennis in the Philippines has so much potential because even though it’s not as widespread as other sports, I feel like we have a lot of hidden talent,” said Eala after her shocking 6-2, 7-5 demolition of Swiatek.
“If we can have the support to back it up and the exposure to back it up, then I think Philippine tennis can be a big thing.”
The 19-year-old has been the face of Philippine tennis for the last couple of years as she accomplished a bevy of historic feats.
She stands as the first Filipino player to win a junior Grand Slam singles title when she captured the 2022 US Open girls’ crown and holds the distinction as the highest-ranked Filipino in the history of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), with Eala cracking the top 100 of the live rankings.
Her dream run in Miami is another feather to her cap, one that Eala hopes will spur the emergence of the sport in the country.
“The only thing I can do to give back to my country is to help inspire change, positive change, and to inspire people to pick up a racket, to watch more tennis, watch more women’s tennis,” said Eala.
Chasing her first WTA Tour title, Eala hopes to inch closer to that goal as she battles world No. 4 Jessica Pegula of the United States for a spot in the finale on Thursday, March 27 (Friday, March 28, Manila time). – Rappler.com