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Filipina tennis player Alex Eala competes against Lucie Havlickova of Czech Republic during the Junior Girl's Singles Final match on Day Thirteen of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on Saturday. Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines -- Tennis prodigy Alex Eala is proud to join the list of Filipina athletes who are making waves thanks to their successful forays in both local and international events.
Eala made history in 2022 when she won the girls' singles tournament of the US Open, making her the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam event.
She was just among the handful of Filipinas who raised the flag high internationally last year, joining the likes of the Philippine women's national football team and superstar weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz.
The Filipinas also had a historic year, as they qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup for the first time. Diaz, meanwhile, won three golds in the world championships to add to her collection.
"I'm super proud of our Filipino athletes and especially our Filipina athletes," said Eala during a recent media conference at The Globe Tower. "I think there's been a lot of success in women's sports in the Philippines in the past couple of years. Like Hidilyn Diaz or the women's national soccer team."
"So I think that's a great movement, and I think it has a lasting impact," she added.
Eala, 17, has been on an upward trajectory in her career. She made her Australian Open qualifying debut in January, then progressed to the main draw of the Thailand Open late last month.
Asked if she plans on possibly holding camps or setting up programs in the Philippines to help the next generation of tennis players, Eala says it is something she wants to do in the future.
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But for the moment, her focus is on her own burgeoning career.
"I'm still 17 years old," she pointed out. "You're talking about building a school -- I'm still in school, 'di ba."
"So, right now, at my very young age, I think the biggest thing I can do is to hope to inspire the young kids. Right now, I'm still at the place in my life where I have to focus on myself and my career. The only thing I can hope is that they will be a little inspired from what I try to do," she added.
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