How Alex Eala’s big win at Vitoria-Gasteiz moved her to tears
Photo from alex.eala/Instagram
Filipino tennis prodigy Alex Eala achieved the biggest victory of her professional career, clinching titles in both singles and doubles at the ITF Vitoria-Gasteiz. The victory, which she described as “meaning the world” to her, brought her to tears.
Eala’s journey to glory began in the doubles event, where she partnered with French player Estelle Cascino. The duo faced off against Lia Karatancheva of Bulgaria and Diana Marcinkevica of Latvia in a thrilling final match. The three-set match proved to be a test of endurance and skill, but Eala and Cascino emerged victorious with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 10-4.
Then in less than 24 hours, the young tennis ace continued her stellar performance in the singles final. As the fifth seed, she squared off against the highly-regarded Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva of Andorra.
The finals match saw the 19-year-old Filipino star display a blend of skill and patience. Despite losing a 5-1 lead in the first set and facing a tough challenge from her 18-year-old opponent, Eala regained control and secured the victory, 6-4.
The second set was fiercely contested, with Jiménez Kasintseva leveling the score at 4-4, but Eala clinched a crucial break point to seal her win and claim her first-ever W100-level event title.
Eala took to Instagram to share her emotional response to her achievements: “ITF W100!!! This win means the world to me, it even made me ugly cry.”
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She continued, “I am so proud because this represents the culmination of so much hard work. Securing my biggest titles yet in both singles and doubles is a fairytale finish, and I’m overwhelmed with emotion.”
The Rafa Nadal Academy student’s victories in Vitoria-Gasteiz are more than just career milestones; they reflect her unwavering dedication and perseverance. “This will always have a special place in my heart, and I leave here with a pocket full of great memories and the will to work harder,” she said.
Eala has recently achieved a new career milestone in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles rankings, climbing to a career-high No. 155.
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