A year after conquering the US Open Girls’ title last year, Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala has set her eyes on leaving a mark in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour.
“My goal is to be able to integrate myself to the WTA circuit more and to be able to handle myself better on the court,” the 18-year-old said in a video feature produced by the International Tennis Federation.
The tennis prodigy, who's back at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, revealed more than just her aspirations in his professional career. While she was eating lunch and talking about the importance of keeping a healthy diet, Eala remembered something about her stint in the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China last September.
According to Eala, there was one particular challenge that she found quite difficult to overcome. And it had nothing to do with tennis.
“There was a free KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) in the cafeteria of the Asian Games so I was tempted every day by that. But maybe I got (it) only a few times,” Eala disclosed with a smile.
Showing discipline and tremendous willpower, Eala didn’t only resist KFC’s finger-licking goodness, she also won two bronze medals, playing in the women’s singles and mixed doubles category.
Eala also showed just how rigorous her daily routine is at the Rafa Nadal Academy. To sum it up:
9 a.m. – Weight training, cardio exercises, and plyometrics. After fitness training, Eala proceeds to do her outdoor workouts, involving several drills designed to improve her skills and technique. Following outdoor practice, there’s video analysis. It is where Alex’s game is broken down by her team in detail and by the numbers.
2 p.m. – Lunch and media.
4 p.m. – Afternoon practice session, which is essentially more skills work.
6 p.m. – Post-practice stretch. This is where Eala does exercises to cool down and recover for another busy day ahead.
7 p.m. – Drive home.
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Despite her daunting day-to-day routine, Eala remains appreciative of the tremendous opportunity she’s been given.
“What’s most important for me is to keep my head down, be thankful for the attention that I’m getting and the support, and hopefully do more things in my career” she stressed.
(PM)