Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala will have a busy 2024 season as she plans to get a crack at all four Grand Slams.
Coming at the heels of a good 2023 run, including winning two bronze medals in her first Asian Games stint, Eala is gearing up to get into the main draw of the Australian Open early next year before shooting for the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open stints.
“I’m trying to look at the short term, so I’m preparing for the Australian Open 2024. I’ll be joining the qualifying, that’s on 8 January,” the 18-year-old Eala said.
“That (Australian Open) is my big focus right now. And hopefully next year, my goal is to join all four Grand Slams,” she added.
Eala dropped by the Smart Araneta Coliseum last Saturday as she joined the Philippine volleyball record crowd of 24,459 to watch Game 2 of the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino finals between sister teams Creamline and Choco Mucho.
Creamline, which Eala was rooting for, eventually completed a conference sweep for its seventh league title.
Eala, who tied her career-high 189th rank in the Women’s Tennis Association ranking this month, made her pro debut last year in the Australian Open women’s singles qualifying.
The lefty netter, however, bowed to Japanese opponent Misaki Doi in her first match after a tightly contested three-setter.
But the Rafa Nadal Academy standout would eventually win two singles titles in the ITF circuit in Spain and the United Kingdom.
She then claimed the country’s first Asiad medal since 2006 taking bronze in women’s singles and in the mixed doubles with partner Francis Alcantara in Hangzhou, China.
“I think that the year had a lot of ups and downs, especially in the first half. I struggled there. I think I had some tough moments during that time, but I’m happy with how I was able to turn it around in the second half,” Eala said.
“I think I really blossomed and grew during that second half and I was able to bring out some of my best results and best tennis.”
