The first Filipina ever to win a US Open Junior Title, Alex Eala reveals that her ace is her parents’ steady and loving support.
“Game, set, match, Eala! 6-2, 6-4!” — that was probably the most defining declaration of junior tennis ace Alex Eala’s Tennis Singles career after winning 2 out of 3 sets against Czechia’s Lucie Havlickova, making her the first-ever Filipina to win a Grand Slam Title. When Alex held her trophy high, she knew it wasn’t just her effort alone. She also had the love and steady support of her parents, Mike and Rizza Eala.
You can check out the highlights of her match against Havlickova on the US Open’s official YouTube Channel.
A family of champions and athletes
It helps to have family members who are familiar with the pro-athlete scene, too. And her parents are not without medals and wins of their own. Rizza Eala won a Bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke in the 1985 Southeast Asia Competition and her brother, Michael (nicknamed Miko) has a few medals as well.
According to Mike Eala (Alex’s father) in an interview last 2021, helping both Alex and her brother, Miko (who is playing tennis for Penn State University), become successful was a team effort from both him and their mother, Rizza.
“For things to work out the way they have [worked out], it’s not just the father’s or the mother’s job. It’s a team effort,” he said in Taglish.
Alex Eala has a few other titles under her belt. She won her second Grand Slam Title in Doubles at the 2021 Roland Garros or the French Open with her doubles partner, Russian tennis player Oksana Selekhmeteva.
