SUMMARY
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MANILA, Philippines – Final set, down 1-7.
That’s the score Alex Eala’s family saw from the sidelines when the 14-year-old Filipina and her partner Priska Nugroho of Indonesia went up against the No. 1 pair of Latvia’s Kamila Bartone and Czech Republic’s Linda Fruhvirtova in the semifinals of the 2020 Australian Open juniors doubles tournament.
“From the way it was going, we thought that that was it,” said Alex’s father Mike. By then, Alex’s whole family had started to accept that it’s the end of the road for their young star’s first Aussie Open campaign.
Little did they know that the score signified a turning point, with Alex suddenly displaying her champion pedigree as the Southeast Asian pair knotted the score at 7-all, secured a shock win to clinch a finals berth, before cruising all the way to capture a historic Grand Slam juniors title.
“She’s special. Alex is special,” said Mike of her daughter, the first Filipina tennis player to capture a Grand Slam crown.
“I just hope that she continues to be humble, she keeps her feet on the ground, she continues to work hard because she knows that everyone else in the world is working hard. She also has to be patient, she’ll get there.” (FAST FACTS: Who is teen tennis sensation Alex Eala?)
Champion attitude
Like most teens, Alex likes doing what she loves best. But unlike most of them, her love for tennis has brought her to dominating the international stage.
“I think that kids or people in general just need to love what they do because the love for the sport and love for whatever you do is really what will get you through the rough times,” said Alex, who earned a full scholarship to the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca in 2018.
But more than just having that passion for the sport, Alex has always been gifted with that champion attitude – taking practice sessions very seriously even as a kid that it usually surprises her coaches.
“‘Yung determination grabe. Pag once na nasa loob ng court, di mo na iyon makakausap, seryoso na iyan. After ng two hours na practice, pwede na magbiruan. Ganoon siya ka disiplinado. Pag di niya nakukuha ‘yung puntos o ‘yung palo, ulit-ulitin niya,” said former coach Toto Joven, who trained Alex when she was 7 years old and continues to be her hitting partner when she’s in the Philippines.
(Her determination is insane. Once she’s inside the court, you won’t be able to talk to her anymore. She’s so serious. After two hours of practice, then you can joke around with her. That’s how disciplined she is. If she didn’t get the point or the hit, she’ll keep repeating it.)
Now that she’s been training in Spain, Alex juggles a busy schedule – getting to the court at 8 am then rushing to her fitness training at 11 am before attending school in the American School of Mallorca for the rest of the day.
By living in an environment conducive to improving her game, Alex’s focused approach every training session remains the same as she hopes to make the most out of her experience in the academy.
So it’s no surprise that the Filipina teen tennis sensation has been collecting titles in high-level juniors tournaments the past year. Still, Alex strives to set higher goals and achieve them.
“She’s very competitive and that’s very important performing at that high level. To have this natural competitiveness and she’s also very hardworking. She’s driven and she wants to get something done,” said Mike.
“She really won’t finish the session until she gets to do it and she plans like she looks forward to the next. She always has an objective and she just goes for it.”
All in the family
Alex’s stellar achievements also put the spotlight on her family’s deep roots in sports. (WATCH: Alex Eala on the rise in PH tennis)
Sports personalities dot both sides of her family tree. The Maniegos were athletes as Alex’s mom Rizza and aunt Nikki Maniego-Cachuela were former national swimmers.
The sisters were Southeast Asian Games swimming medalists with Rizza copping a bronze in the women’s 100m backstroke of the 1985 SEA Games and Nikki also winning a bronze in the 4x100m individual medley of the same edition.
Their brother, Alex’s uncle JR Maniego, was also a swimmer-turned-tennis-player for the University of the Philippines.
Noli Eala, a cousin of Alex’s father Mike, was a former PBA commissioner and worked as a sports commentator.
Alex’s older brother, 17-year-old Miko, is also a promising tennis player at the Rafael Nadal Academy. He now plans to take his talents to the US NCAA as he graduates from Mallorca this year.
Mike thinks his daughter most probably got her discipline and work ethic from her mother.
“Well I’m introverted. I really work hard and I like being alone. So imagine being a swimmer, [I spend] so many hours like 5 or 6 hours a day just in the water,” recalled Rizza.
Rizza said she’s constantly surprised by how her kids continue to improve and bring home championships.
“I really didn’t think that ‘hey, I’m going to have kids and then they’re going to be like in sports’. I wanted them to play some kind of sport but not like at this level,” said Rizza.
Breeding a champion
Behind the successful sporting family is Alex’s grandfather Roberto Maniego, also known as “Lolo Bobby,” who trained all his kids to excel in their respective sports.
It was all because of him that both Alex and Miko started playing tennis at such a young age – feeding them the ball on court and eventually fielding them in tournaments. He was a constant presence in the sidelines of every practice session and tournament to guide and cheer on his grandchildren.
“I think my dad knows how to make world-class champions like he did with his two grandchildren,” added Rizza.
Following the footsteps of Lolo Bobby is the Eala patriarch, Mike, who is also as involved in the sporting careers of Alex and Miko.
Before the two star netters left the family nest, Mike would also be there by the sidelines cheering on his two kids, and most recently, he brought the whole family to watch Alex’s campaign in the 2020 Australian Open juniors tournament and Miko’s qualifying bid for the Grand Slam opener.
“I think there are certain things that everyone finds important to them and for me and my wife, this time is very precious for us to see the kids go through these big international events. It’s such an honor,” said Mike.
In the singles tournament of the Aussie Open, Alex suffered an upset loss and missed a quarterfinals berth while Priska was likewise booted out of the 3rd round.
It was thanks to Mike’s words of encouragement – “Doubt is your biggest enemy” – that Alex was able to find her motivation again, make it far into the doubles tournament, and eventually bag the title.
“If you don’t believe in yourself, then nothing is really going to happen. That’s what I think, that’s what a lot of other people should do. Just believe in yourself and follow your dreams,” said Alex.
But no matter how serious and determined Alex can be, both her parents still continue to treasure how she can be a normal teen off the court.
“Me and my wife sometimes forget that she’s only 14 and other people can forget that she’s only 14,” said Mike. “It actually comes out when she leaves the court. When she’s on the plane, and she has her little travel pillow, she looks like any other 14-year-old. But on the court, she’s another woman.” – Rappler.com
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