Dubai: How close-knit family helped this Filipina climb up the tennis ladder

“Hi, I am Alexandra!” Following a gruelling battle in Dubai against Yuliya Hatouka of Belarus, rising Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala had just returned to her on-court seat when an official at Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge introduced this reporter to her.

A visibly tired Eala offered a courteous smile, even extending her hand for a formal introduction.

“You don’t need to introduce yourself, you are famous now,” the official quipped.

Eala smiled again.

The 19-year-old has plenty of reasons to smile. It was only two years ago at the US Open that she made history by becoming the first Junior Grand Slam champion from the Philippines.

Now with a singles ranking of 155, Eala is the highest-ranked female tennis player in the history of her country.

For the past six years, she also has been training at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain where she even exchanges high fives with the Spanish icon at the gym.

And yet Eala has managed to keep her feet on the ground.

Even more than the pep talks from her idol Nadal, it’s the family values that have acted as a catalyst for her early success.

“I am super proud of myself and so fortunate to have such a supportive family and supportive team. I think that’s a huge reason why someone from the Philippines has been able to succeed in tennis,” she said.

“In the Philippines, there hasn’t been anybody who has done this, especially in women’s tennis. So I have my family to thank for that and the way they have raised me with the values, that’s what has kept me going until now.”

Her mother Rizza, a former professional swimmer who won a bronze medal at the 1985 South East Asian Games, was cheering her up from the stands on every point as she battled back from a break down in the second set against Hatouka to book her place in the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge quarterfinals on Wednesday.

“My mum is here, yes, my parents try to travel with me as much as they can and it really means everything,” she said.

“I think especially being a Filipina, family is such an important thing for us. We are very family-oriented people, you know, I am very fortunate to have become a professional athlete because I know that so many people don’t get this kind of support from their parents and that’s why I just consider myself very lucky.”

Eala smiled again when asked about the influence her success has had in drawing more kids to the tennis courts in her country.