"I’m not following anyone’s footsteps—I’m making my own" - Alexandra Eala opens up on representing her home country, whilst outlying her future ambitions in tennis

Alexandra Eala has burst onto the scene in recent months as one of the most promising youngsters in the WTA. Recently reaching her first Pro Tour title, she now targets success in New York ahead of the final Grand Slam of the campaign.

She sat down with Tennis Channel's Jon Wertheim to discuss tennis in the Philippines, her emphasis on her family in her journey to the WTA, her future ambitions, and the support she has received at the US Open.

Tennis has been in Eala's life for as long as she can remember, but she still feels as motivated as ever. She said: "I've been playing tennis since I was four years old, and now I’m twenty. So it’s been 16 years of tennis, and I’m still as motivated as ever."

She touched on the importance of her family in her growth in tennis, citing her grandfather as one of the main focal points, before moving to Spain at the age of 13. "Tennis started for me as a family thing," she said. "My older brother (three years older) started training with our dad as coach. As a kid, I just wanted to connect with my dad. Then I started winning, enjoyed it, got better—and never looked back.

"When I accomplish something big, I look back at my family and see how far we've come. We used to travel to provinces in the Philippines, where courts were broken, and boundaries weren’t marked. Sometimes we had to compete on half basketball courts, half football fields. My grandfather was a big part of my tennis journey. He was my only coach from when I started until I went to Spain. He was just a club player, but he read a lot—magazines, books, YouTube—to teach us how to learn. My brother and I grew up under his coaching.

"I went to Mallorca when I was 13. The Rafa Nadal Academy has been my second home for seven years. I’ve met so many people there. They played a huge role in my development. I learned a lot from Mallorca and Rafa. So much. His work ethic is something I admire deeply. His resilience is unmatched—something I try to learn. There are parts of tennis and being a pro that aren’t fun, but he keeps going. That persistence is inspiring."

The Rafa Nadal Academy is a great place to advance your game, and a vast difference in facilities from what the young Filipino had experienced. When asked if she's played in any unusual places, she said: "Yes, we had a place called Shellcourt in the Philippines. I don’t know what it was exactly, but judging by the name, probably old shells and broken pieces. It wasn’t something I’ve seen outside the Philippines. We trained hard. We knew we didn’t have the best facilities, so we made up for it with effort."

When asked where she is from, she said: "I'm from the Philippines. I’m from Manila. It’s also a big city, lots of people—so I’m familiar with things like traffic and busy streets. That’s something Manila and New York have in common."

The Philippines is not known for their tennis, without ever winning a title in the sport. Eala surprised the tennis world by reaching a Masters 1000 semi-final in Miami, knocking out Grand Slam champions Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek along the way. She would then make history for her country by reaching her and the Philippines first senior tour final, losing at Eastbourne to fellow youngster Maya Joint after squandering four championship points. However, there is plenty of time for the young prodigy to claim her first title for her nation. When questioned what tennis is like in the Philippines now, Eala said: "It has improved a lot. People tell me it’s hard to get court time now—which is great because it shows growth. Having someone from the Philippines on tour can inspire the next generation."

She has accumulated a whole host of fans from her country, with the enthusiastic fans travelling in their numbers to support Eala in her quest for a deep run at Flushing Meadows. On the support, she said: "It’s incredible. I’ve never seen another nationality come out like that. You just know when someone is Filipino—they make themselves known. It feels amazing to have that kind of support.

Now a very well-known athlete in her country, she comments on making her own pathway and carrying the flag of her nation. "It’s challenging but also freeing. I’m not following anyone’s footsteps—I’m making my own," she said. "It’s such a privilege to carry the flag of my country. In a sea of players from tennis powerhouse countries, to have a Filipino girl making a name is very special. I want them to dream and believe it’s possible. In the Philippines, it’s hard to visualize yourself doing something no one’s done before. But I know there are many girls with big dreams—not just in tennis, but in sports. Women’s sports in the Philippines is really booming right now."

The future is bright for Eala, who has revealed her ambitious targets she wants to achieve before her career comes to an end. "I’ve always been ambitious. Since I was young, I dreamed of being World No. 1 and winning Grand Slams. And the better I get, the harder it becomes—but I believe in myself. So yes, my goals are to reach No. 1, win slams, and reach my full potential."

The 20-year-old is aware of what luxury position she currently sits in, describing it as a 'privilege' to do what she loves. "I love it. If you had told me that I’d spend 30 weeks a year traveling the world, meeting people, doing what I love— I’d say, not everyone gets that privilege. I’m very lucky."

Eala squeezed through a remarkably tight tie against Danish star Clara Tauson. She took the first set after winning four of the last five games, but was pegged back after the 22-year-old eventually took control of the second set, breaking at key times to level the score. Despite being 5-2 down in the final set, Eala managed to remarkaby prevent her opponent from getting any match points and levelled the match at 5-5, before going on to failing to take her first match point. Three more would pass by in the tiebreak, but the Filipino finally got over the line for her first Grand Slam triumph. She sets up a tie with Spaniard Cristina Bucsa in the second round.