ITF

30 Spring 2021 ITF World Alexandra Eala is one of 15 players to receive an International Junior Player Grant from the ITF in 2021. Tom Moran chats with the highly rated teenager about her first pro title, striving for improvement and that Instagram post Now in her third year of training at Rafael Nadal's academy in Mallorca, Alexandra Eala of the Philippines has become used to answering questions about the 20-time Grand Slam champion. That scrutiny skyrocketed, however, when Nadal took to Instagram and posted a congratulatory message celebrating the 15-year-old's maiden professional title at W15 Manacor in January. The post received more than 100,000 likes. "I woke up and my friend had texted, telling me that Rafa had posted about me on his Instagram," Eala told ITFWorld. "I was freaking out and I was not calm. He is one of my all-time idols and even before I was at his academy, I looked up to him so much." Eala is big business in the Philippines, with television stations and media outlets affording her considerable attention and charting her every on-court move. That, of course, is partly fuelled by her association with Nadal, who together with his team of esteemed coaches in Manacor is influencing her career development to some considerable effect. Eala would appear to be thriving. "Rafa's a very humble man, which I admire about him," she said. "I train alongside him sometimes, the court beside him maybe, and I see him train often. "He's always focused on what he's doing and I've learned so many things here that I don't think I could have learned anywhere else. I have met so many new people and the academy has given me so many opportunities to grow and to develop as a player. "The first time my dad mentioned that I'd been offered a scholarship at Rafa's academy, I didn't really think much of it because it seemed like such a big change and a big step. "A few months later we confirmed it, I moved to Spain and I've never looked back since. I'm so lucky to be surrounded by a great team of coaches and a great variety of players. "It's a great environment for a player to grow up in and I'm so grateful." Nadal's post-title praise of Eala was well- deserved. The left-hander had just landed a first major blow within the game's professional ranks – a significant staging post in any career – on just her sixth appearance at an ITF World Tennis Tour women's event. Eala's talent, however, had long since flickered on the radar of interested observers and she announced herself by topping the podium at Cape Town's prestigious Grade A junior event in 2019 after overcoming Linda Fruhvirtova, another highly rated teen, in the final. She continued to showcase her credentials on the biggest of junior stages and reached the final of the Osaka Mayor's Cup as well as the Orange Bowl's last four that same year. In 2020, Grand Slam success came her way as she scooped the girls' doubles title alongside Indonesia's Priska Madelyn Nugroho at the Australian Open before navigating her way to the semi-finals of the Roland Garros Junior Championships in October. Whatever the stage, Eala has a hunger to reinforce the status which sees her name consistently put forward during discussions on rising stars and those to keep an eye on as their career's progress. "For the next year, I really hope to focus T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T T A L E N T I N V E S T I N G I N DEVELOPMENT

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