32 Spring 2021 ITF World
more on my professional career, on women's
tournaments and just get as far as I can,"
she said.
"I take it step by step. I'm still very new
to the women's Tour and I don't really know
what to expect, but I think that's part of the
journey – it never stops surprising you.
"I would obviously like to win Grand
Slams and be world No. 1 but, right now,
I think of smaller goals: improving my ranking
and just continuing to improve the things
I need to improve – there's a lot of room
for improvement.
"But it was amazing to win my first
professional title, I couldn't believe it.
It was a really big milestone for me."
The ITF's development programme,
meanwhile, was first conceived in the late
1970s and aims to raise the standard of
the sport globally and increase the number
of countries competing in mainstream
international tennis. As part of this,
International Junior Player Grants were
introduced in 2018.
Eala is one of 15 players to receive support
from the ITF's junior player grants programme
in 2021. The initiative enables players from
nations eligible for development funding to
receive up to $25,000 per season to assist
with their ongoing costs and expenditure.
"It's a huge, huge help," said Eala, who
also received a $25,000 grant in 2020. "The
majority of my pre-season this year I spent
at home, so I used the grant to help me train
back in the Philippines. It's really a big help for
me, as I'm sure it is for other players as well.
"For players who are supporting themselves,
tennis is not a cheap sport. It's hard to travel
everywhere and you have to find those
opportunities. The grants really help players
venture out and find the right paths for
themselves."
While she is now based in Spain, Eala cites
raising the profile of tennis in her home
country as a major aim. Over the years, there
have been some hugely talented players from
the Philippines, although none have been able
to leave an indelible mark on the sport – yet.
"You don't see a lot of Filipino players out
there and to be one of them, representing the
country and doing well, I feel that reflects well
on the nation and shows how hard we work,"
added Eala, who represented the Philippines
at the 2019 ITF World Junior Tennis Finals in
Prostejov – the first time their girls' team
had qualified since 1993.
"I'm really, really proud to be representing
women's sport in the Philippines. Ever since
I was young, I think the Philippines has been
looked down upon and underrated.
"In team events, everyone would be praying
to get us. I really want that to change and I
feel we have huge potential. It would be great
to be a part of that."
While Eala talks of building her career, there
are pointers everywhere that the strides she
is making are significant. She has reached the
quarter-finals of three professional events
since her triumph at Manacor and has chalked
up a number of victories against top 250
opponents. The first of these wins predated
her title and came against Francesca Jones of
Great Britain.
Jones hit the headlines in February after
successfully navigating Australian Open
qualifying in Dubai, from where she proceeded
to make her Grand Slam main draw debut and
face Shelby Rogers of the United States in the
first round.
On the face of it, defeating someone like
Jones, who was ranked No. 241 in the world
at the time, might appear to be nothing more
than another match-win.
But it is victories of this nature, against
players starting to make their own mark in the
game, which suggest to Eala that she is on the
right track, with a roadmap towards further
scalps seemingly in place.
"It does give me a lot of hope that I have
potential to get to that level," she said. "I don't
know how long it will take, maybe a year,
maybe a few years. But it does give me a
lot of confidence and does make me happy
to see that I can do that."
Whatever the future may hold, as one of
Nadal's protegees, it is safe to say the tennis
world will be watching closely. n
JUNIOR PLAYER GRANTS
The following eight girls and seven boys
have received junior player grants of up to
$25,000 in 2021:
Girls Weronika Baszak (POL), Kristina
Dmitruk (BLR), Alexandra Eala (PHI), Julia
Garcia (MEX), Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva
(AND), Yasmine Kabbaj (MAR), Mell Elizabeth
Reasco Gonzalez (ECU), Vivian Yang (NZL)
Boys Corban Crowther (NZL), Hanwen Li
(CHN), Khololwam Montsi (RSA), Karlis
Ozolins (LAT), Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez
(MEX), Natan Rodrigues (BRA), Holger Vitus
Nodskov Rune (DEN)
Alexandra Eala writes regular blog pieces which appear on the ITF's website.
To read more about Alexandra and to follow her progress, please click here
WATC
H
M
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Jones reached the
main draw of this
year's Australian
Open
DEVELOPMENT
