By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala is back serving the country and will boost the chances of the Philippine national tennis team in the upcoming 2023 Asian Games to be held in China in September.
After taking a break during the recently concluded 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, the 18-year-old star will once again seek to help the national team clinch the gold medal in the Asian Games.
The development was already confirmed by Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Bambol Tolentino during another edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Forum.
“In tennis, I’ve already put the name of Alex, she will play for the individual category,” said Tolentino during the press conference.
The last time Eala played for the PHL was during the SEA Games Vietnam edition where she bagged the bronze medal in Hanoi.
After that, Eala decided to skip national team duties and focus on her professional tennis career where she currently aims to improve her ranking by joining several International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit tournaments.
Despite a series of early round exits the past three months, Eala is still a member of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) top 500 female players of the world.
Aside from Eala, the PHL national team will also be reinforced by two of the best male players in the country, Francis Casey Alcantara and Ruben Gonzales.
“Nag-deliver ng gold sa men’s doubles, so definitely the two in individuals, as well as Alex. Pwede pa rin pumili si Alex sino gusto niyang katambal sa doubles,” Tolentino added.
