Welcome to the latest instalment of Alexandra Eala’s blog. Aged 16, Alex is already making a big impact at professional events and in January 2021 won her first pro title. She is a two-time Junior Grand Slam doubles champion and this year received funding through the ITF-administered Grand Slam Player Development Programme having previously been the recipient of ITF International Junior Player Grants. Alex is writing regular pieces for the ITF, providing insight into her tennis journey. Follow her progress here.

I am in Manila for the next week or so before heading to Hanoi in Vietnam with the rest of the Philippine team for the Southeast Asian Games and I am super-excited.

It will be the first time that I will compete in the Games, which makes it extra special, while they are massively important across the region and mean so much to so many people.

It is also another opportunity for me to represent the Philippines, something I love, and I definitely have the sense of playing for my nation and for something far bigger than just myself.

It is also incredibly meaningful to be following in the footsteps of my mom, Rizza, who was previously a swimmer and competed at the 1985 Games in Bangkok, winning bronze in the 100m backstroke. I cannot wait to try and win for my country, just as she did.

The Games are a standout tournament on my calendar and something which, as I say, I am really looking forward to, while it is also an experience I will be sharing with my family as my mom, dad and brother will be attending.

While in Hanoi, I am also expecting a lot of support from back home as there is already a lot of talk about the Games. I think all the Filipino athletes can feel that expectation and we will do our very best to be successful.

In terms of tennis, the Philippine team is strong. On the men’s side, Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales won the doubles at the Savannah Challenger earlier this month and are joined by Jeson Patrombon, Francis Alcantara and Eric Olivarez. The women’s team, meanwhile, is comprised of Marian Capadocia, Shaira Rivera, Jenaila Rose Prulla and myself.

I started training with my teammates at Manila Polo Club today and we will bond further as preparations continue, putting ourselves in the best possible position to do well when the tennis event gets underway on 13 May.

I am back in full training now having enjoyed a little break after returning to the Philippines from Spain. The rest gave me the chance to hang out with family, which is one of the best things about coming home and competing in Asia.

My last tournament before leaving Spain was the Madrid Open, where I was granted a wild card entry to the qualifying event.

It is not every day that you get to join a Masters-1000 event and I was so grateful for the opportunity although, in the end, it was not my day and I lost 6-0 6-0 to World No. 68 Anna Bondar of Hungary.

It felt like the chance of a lifetime at the time, and I have learnt that when something like that presents itself and doesn’t go your way, working out how to get back from it is vitally important.

Disappointment from losing is inevitable but I had so much hope and I had been working so hard for a chance like that, so I need to work on how to recover in such circumstances and how to keep my head up.

The support of my family and my coaches from the Rafa Nadal Academy really helped change my mindset and allowed me to look at the whole experience completely differently. Again, that is something I am really grateful for.

While that loss was a setback, I was over the moon to win my first W25 event – the biggest title of my career – in Chiang Rai, Thailand last month. I had missed competing in Asia and for it be near home and with my parents there, it was a proud moment.

I would also say that it has given me a lot of confidence for upcoming events. Towards the end of last year, I was struggling with a foot injury and I was not getting the results I hoped for, but that title win really helped.

That said, there was a flipside to my injury as it allowed me to focus on things I wouldn’t have ordinarily. I put a lot of effort into improving my fitness and I hope I am now reaping the rewards.

I will certainly be looking to take that form and my new levels of fitness into the Southeast Asian Games. This is a big occasion and I cannot wait to wear my national team colours with pride. Go Philippines!