MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala has had a lot of success in her young tennis career.
At the age of 14, the Filipina tennister is already a grand slam champion and currently holds the world no. 4 rank in the ITF Junior Rankings.
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But Eala hopes her success doesn't only affect her, but also her fellow Filipino tennis payers.
"I hope a lot of the younger kids see me as an inspiration because I did also come from where they are now," Eala said to media on Monday.
"I didn't start big, I also came from local tournaments in Palawan or just here in Manila, slowly going into the international stage," she added.
Since 2019, Eala has been on a drastic rise in her career — highlighted by two grand slam juniors championship appearances and a title in the Australian Open Girls Doubles tourney.
The Rafael Nadal Academy scholar also wants her career to be an eye-opener for the country, that tennis is a sport that Filipinos can excel at.
"I'm very proud to be a Filipina, I am very proud to represent my country especially in a sport where not a lot of Filipinos are present," Eala said.
"I think now I want people to see [that] the Philippines has a lot of potential for high-level tennis," she added.