Alex Eala bares secret to balancing tennis and studies

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala is one of the rising stars in women's tennis at only 15 years old.

But like any other teenager, the Philippine tennis wunderkind also faces a different kind of challenge: her studies.

Both a full-time athlete and student, Eala employs a delicate balancing act as a Rafa Nadal Academy scholar in achieving well both on the tennis court and in the classroom.

Eala recently shared her experience as a student-athlete on ONE Sports' The Game and what has been helping her keep her priorities straight.

"My day is very long and I usually wake up at 6:30 [a.m.]... I have training for four hours, 2 hours 45 [minutes] on court tennis and then an hour and 15 [minutes] of fitness. I have school the whole afternoon until 6 [p.m.] and then I have another hour of training after school," narrated Eala.

The WTA No. 662 admitted that although there is difficulty in juggling her responsibilities, she has grown used to the life of a student-athlete for years now.

"It takes a while to get used to but I think I've been doing it for so many years that I've learned my own way to work around things," said Eala.

She also said that she has already gotten a feel of when she needs to tip the scales tennis- and academic-wise, enabling her to keep things balanced as she chases her dream in the WTA pro circuit.

"I have my own schedule [now] where I focus more on my studies and times where I focus more on my studies," she said.

Help from her teachers and friends at the tennis academy in Manacor, Spain is likewise handy for the teen star in keeping things in check.

"It does get really hard especially when I'm away for weeks in a row that's why I have my teachers to help me and my friends also help me catch up so I'm grateful to them," said Eala.

Eala most recently competed in a W60 tournament in Switzerland where she finished within the Round of 16 in her debut in the $60,000 event.