Alex Eala dedicates Australian Open win to late grandfather
MANILA, Philippines — When an athlete strives to be great, there are surely sacrifices that come along the way.
For Filipino tennis star Alex Eala, time with family is one of those many sacrifices.
Being a Rafael Nadal Academy scholar, Eala spends most of her time in Spain training and misses a handful of family events as a result.
This included the death of her maternal grandfather Roberto Maniego last November 2019.
Maniego was Eala's first ever tennis coach — teaching the sport to Eala and her brother Miko in their toddler years.
After winning her first-ever grand slam title, Eala fondly remembered the late Maniego.
"I'd like to think that he's proud of me because we've been talking about me winning a grand slam ever since I started," Eala told the media on Monday.
The Australian Open Girls Doubles champion got teary-eyed at the mention of her grandfather and admitted that he was on her mind going into the grand slam tournament.
"I think that really was the biggest motivation for me going into the Australian Open... this win is really, for me, it's dedicated for him," Eala said.
Eala became the second Filipino to win a grand slam title after Nino Alcantara won the Australian Open Boys Doubles title in 2009. She is also the first Filipina to achieve the feat.
Now ranked fourth in the ITF junior world rankings, Eala hopes to add more accolades to her name.
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