Alex Eala returns to Philippines

The Manila Times

Alex Eala returns to Philippines  Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala returns to the Philippines for a quick break from her 2024 season.   Eala talked to the media in the middle of the UP-La Salle UAAP Season 87 men's basketball clash at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on November 10, 2024.  She said she will resume and finish her 2024 season with tourneys in Japan, Beijing, and Dubai.  Video by Niel Victor Masoy  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel -  vhttps://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe   Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net     Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook   Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram   Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter   DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion     Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital Sign up to our newsletters: https://tmt.ph/newsletters    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify   Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts   Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic   Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein  #themanilatimes  #philippines #tmtnews  #basketball

Transcript

00:00How was the salon and what did you see?

00:02Oh it was super exciting.

00:04My dad is a UP alumni so I'm very happy to be here with the family.

00:10And I'm not a huge fan of basketball so I think after this game I'm going to be a little more into it.

00:18And it's nice to see the intensity of other players and the overall atmosphere here in the college.

00:25Thank you. And what are some of your questions?

00:27Alex, of course being an elite athlete like yourself, you're used to atmospheres like these.

00:34So do you think that there's any similarity between you and the players that you see on the court?

00:39And I guess how you relate to them even though you're playing separate sports?

00:42Oh well of course. I think all athletes have sort of a...

00:48Well on understanding, I actually seem to respect other athletes for what they do.

00:52Especially because I know how hard they have to work at a certain level.

00:58Yeah so I'm super lucky to have been able to time the game well.

01:07How can this part of the journey, the feeling of being able to play 2-3-3-1-1-1, recently against Cusco,

01:16like that was a good game, benefits a lot.

01:18How does this part of playing against these big-name athletes?

01:22Well I think playing against these big-name athletes are really going to help my development and my progress.

01:28In the end those are the athletes that I'm going to have to beat if I want to go where I actually want to go.

01:35And I think the past few matches against these big-name athletes have been really good.

01:40So taking it step-by-step, I can't rush myself and pressure myself into doing anything that I wanted.

01:52Alex, you've been competing all this year and you almost had those moments in the WTA and getting into the main draws for you.

02:02What's the biggest takeaway for you competing in much tougher competitions?

02:10I think one of the biggest takeaways is not to rush or not to feel pressured.

02:18Sometimes I think that after a loss, I think, oh I'm working so hard, so why aren't I seeing the results that I want?

02:27And I have to remember that everyone else is working the same amount of hard work.

02:33So that also pushes me to work harder.

02:38Although rest is super important in the journey, you still have to find your limits and push them.

02:46Alex, you're talking about your season not being over yet.

02:49Where are you headed after your short vacation here?

02:52So I started in Japan when they played.

02:56And then, actually, I'll play the Beijing Game Cup, which is, I'll be part of the Beijing Games, of course.

03:04And it's a big milestone for me because I've never played in that specific game before.

03:10And I'm super excited to be part of a women's team.

03:14And then after, I'll go to Dubai and end up there.

03:19Alex, at this young point in your career, how far or how close are you to where you want to be?

03:26At least right now.

03:28Oh, I see. I would say I'm far.

03:30Yes, in terms of results, I'm far.

03:33I would say I'm very busy.

03:35And I know that the road is very long.

03:38So although I'm happy with where I am right now, it does not mean that I want to stay there.

03:45Of course, I always want to do that.

03:47And last year, your holiday wish was to compete in all four slams.

03:52Now, this year, what's your one wish?

03:55You're not yet over with this season, but looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, what's still that goal or wish that you have?

04:03Well, of course, a big goal for me would be to play in the big draw.

04:07I think it would mean a lot to be there.

04:10And the last three slams, I thought they were really, really close, which is good.

04:17But at the same time, sometimes it can be disheartening that I lost in a very tight match.

04:25But in the end, you look back on it and you know what you did.

04:31Thank you very much, Alex.

Category

Transcript

Recommended