Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. — United States president Calvin Coolidge
Amidst the triumphs and heartbreaks of failure, Filipina rising star Alexandra ‘Alex’ Eala is now recognized as one of the world’s top 50 female tennis players.
On November 3, 2025, the 20-year-old lass from Quezon City made it into the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Top 50 to end her grueling season of victorious upsets and dismal losses. But from being a relatively unknown competitor, she has brought herself to the pinnacle of Philippine sports as the country’s pride and tennis icon—so much like the People’s Champ, Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Pacquiao, when the Pac-Man was hailed as pound-for-pound king and the only eight-division world titleholder.
Eala is not expected to compete in any tournament until the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) begin next month, but her most recent season has endeared her to majority of Filipinos here and abroad, becoming a living symbol for what the Filipina can accomplish.
And a closer look at the path she’s walked reveals that her triumphs came from doing things that would have been uncommon for many of our countrymen.
The Rafa Nadal Academy graduate is now a beacon of Filipino pride that simultaneously defies national tradition.
One of Eala’s first tennis coaches and her current hitting partner Ronald Joven spoke about three crucial ways Eala rejected ingrained stereotypes about how Filipinos expect to achieve success: courage, resilience and determination.
“Matapang si Alex. She was only seven when I met her, but she was already very determined,” Joven enthused.
The coach recalls how the young Eala in her early years stood out as a child, not just because of her skill, but because of her resolve: “Madiin siya, (Alex) really focused on drills and techniques, not just the rallies and games.”
The determination she likewise showed, already present at seven years old, came out on its own xhen she was just 14, having decided to move out of her home and migrate to Spain, thus defying tradition by leaving her family home early, where many Filipino families would insist on waiting until marriage or establishing her career.
But her parents and her grandfather supported her lofty dreams of fame and success by becoming a professional athlete. This gave her the strength to stand by her plans to study at the prestigious Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain. And with the guidance of her living grandfather and her tennis coaches, Eala developed not just talent but work ethic and sportsmanship as well.
Pursuing a childhood passion is another decision that sets Eala apart—athletics being an uncommon career that most Filipino parents would deem sensible or desirable, like accounting, information technology (IT), healthcare or overseas work. Yet she pursued a sport—her creative passion—and was committed to the most difficult parts of training.
“(She) was a standout among other children,” not just because of her skill but because she was dedicated to the ‘less fun’ parts of training, like conditioning and reviewing past performances,” Joven described the young athlete then and added that Alex was already able to use techniques that usually takes players years to master.
And grit and determination aren’t the only mental skills in her vaunted arsenal on the hardcourt. She also values regulating her emotions and maintaining her mental health, instead of pretending it is irrelevant to her success.
According to sports performance journals, focus on the court can easily be broken with emotions, which is why athletes need to be able to regulate their emotions, which can be done through various techniques. These techniques can vary from sharpening an ability to identify and reframe thoughts, using thought ladders, and other cognitive behavioral techniques—all aspects that our tennis star has emulated with heart.
When asked about what he taught Alex off the court, Eala’s first-time coach said there was never much to teach: “She’s kind and respectful, with a strong work ethic, even off the court. It’s a dream of mine to see her succeed, and sobrang happy ko na I get to still be by her side as her hitting partner.”
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