VACATION’S over for Filipina tennis ace Alexandra “Alex” Eala.
Following a well-deserved homecoming and much-needed break in the Philippines, Ms. Eala troops to Canada to begin her preparations for the US Open next month.
“And just like that, we’re off again. Here’s to Montreal (Canada),” said Ms. Eala on her social media selfie on Wednesday with an emoji of the Philippine flag while on a plane en route to North America.
Ms. Eala reunited with her family here in Manila and spent time with her fans, local media and private supporters after etching historic milestones for Philippine tennis abroad, mostly in Europe.
The 20-year-old sensation is the first Filipina ever to play in not one but two Grand Slam main draws in the French Open and Wimbledon before another major shot in the US Open in New York on Aug. 24 to Sept. 7.
She’s also the first Filipino to reach the Top 100 of the world rankings, currently at No. 69 due to inactivity from a career-best of No. 56 last month.
In North America, the first order of business for Ms. Eala is the National Bank Open in Montreal, Canada from July 26 to Aug. 7 where she is already seeded in the main tournament.
The National Bank Open has yet to release the official draw but Ms. Eala is expected to be up against more seasoned and higher-ranked opponents, who are also ramping up their preparations for the centerpiece US major.
Montreal is a WTA 1000-level hardcourt tourney, making it a tough transition for Ms. Eala after spending her summer on the grass and clay courts of Europe.
Good thing for Ms. Eala, she has been impressive in WTA 1000 tournaments with a semifinal finish in the Miami Open and a finale stint in the Eastbourne Open, which were both historic feats for Philippine tennis.
Ms. Eala is expected to vie in more tournaments in Canada and the United States before strutting her stuff in New York with hopes of scoring her first-ever Grand Slam main draw win.
After that, she will fly closer to home with stints in China, Hong Kong and other Asian cities to continue harvesting pro points in a bid to finally barge inside the Top 50. — John Bryan Ulanday
