Alexandra Eala is a sensational ambassador for both tennis and the Philippines.
Whenever gifted the opportunity to speak about either, she does so glowingly, and as such has cultivated a diehard fanbase who fill out every stadium she plays in.
However, despite her evident love for her home country, at the age of just 13, she left to join the Rafa Nadal Academy. In doing so, she uprooted her entire life, moving to Spain in search of a brighter future.
It’s fair to say that she likely made the right decision, but has now looked back on the reasons why she made that tough decision.
Alex Eala on her hopes for tennis in the Philippines in the future
Speaking to Tennis Channel after winning her opening-round match in Madrid earlier this week, she began by discussing the benefits of the Rafa Nadal Academy.
Alexandra Eala admitted: “Yeah, I moved to RNA when I was 13, so I stayed there, I boarded there.
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“And I mean, I think a lot of people would think it’s daunting, right? And it is. You move away at 13, but I was just so excited, and I was so passionate about tennis, and I was like, This is my opportunity.
“I knew I had to get out of the Philippines to train because it’s not… the structure there isn’t so deep, or how to say… like it’s not very developed. So I really wanted to take my chance to the next level, and I think RNA is, you know, it was the perfect place for that.”
Then, asked whether she hopes to have a similar impact on the Philippines, she added: “Of course, I really hope, you know, I do think that one drop of water can create weight. So that’s what I’m trying to do is just every match, do my best, fight till the end, and hopefully when the results come and as they keep coming, more good things will happen around me.”
This came after Eala had rated her level on clay after that earlier win.
What other top players came through the Rafa Nadal Academy?
Eala may be the Rafa Nadal Academy’s best-supported export right now, but she is far from the most successful.
After all, plenty of stars have taken the same path as she did, with the only difference being that once the 20-year-old made it onto the WTA Tour, her raucous Filipino fanbase then helped catapult her to new heights before she was even a threat.
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Casper Ruud is likely the academy’s best-ever product, as a three-time Grand Slam finalist.
However, there are also a whole host of young talents seeking to follow in these footsteps, with notable names like Jaume Munar, Martin Landaluce and Coleman Wong.
It’s a testament to the quality of the facility and the training that even Iga Swiatek trained with Nadal himself recently, enlisting the help of her idol during a tough period in her career.
Eala, therefore, is arguably the Rafa Nadal Academy’s second-best player, with scope to move up those rankings should she realise her massive potential.
