Alex Eala hopes to inspire people with her journey

At just 20 years old, Alexandra “Alex” Eala has already reached milestones many players dream of.

For the young Filipina, however, her journey is only just beginning.

In her young career, Eala has already made her Grand Slam debuts and competed on the biggest stages of her sport.

For Eala, this is only the beginning of her journey — and talk of legacy is not something she is focused on just yet.

“It's hard to think about legacy and what legacy I want to leave because I'm only 20. So I have a lot of years ahead of me,” she said on Saturday in a press conference ahead of the Philippine Women’s Open.

Still, she hopes that one thing remains constant as she continues to grow.

“I have so much to learn. I just do the best I can and hope that I can inspire people in a positive way,” she said. “I do my best to carry myself with grace and with humility.”

Beyond personal milestones, Eala also hopes her rise can help elevate Philippine tennis as a whole.

“Thinking about legacy is something I haven't really touched on yet. But I like to think that, you know, what I do, and the success that I've had recently has been a contributor to Philippine tennis and the history of the sport here in our country. And of course, the future of the sport here,” she said.

Indeed, her growing prominence has inspired more Filipinos to take up the sport and has helped pave the way for the country to host the Philippine Women’s Open — the first time the Philippines will host a WTA 125 event.

“It’s so, so, so surreal to have a home tournament and to see it come to life,” Eala said.

The Philippine Women’s Open started its qualifiers on Saturday, with the main draw set to begin on Monday.

—GMA Integrated News