Flonique Guimary

Alex Eala looks back on sacrifices she made after moving to Spain at 13 for tennis

Article (news)

E. Kristhoff Cagape

Push Team

<p>Alex Eala looked back on the sacrifices she made after moving to Spain at 13 to study and train in tennis.</p><p>Alex trained under the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain for five years.</p><p>&quot;I missed my family. I spent a lot of time away from my family. I missed my homeland, it was a different culture, it was different everything when I moved. I did sacrifice a lot of my free time, or I guess the time that normal kids would have with friends,&quot; she recalled in an interview with Karen Davila in her latest YouTube vlog. </p><p>Alex acknowledged that she missed out on many experiences commonly associated with being a teenager. However, she said she would still choose the journey and opportunities that tennis gave her.</p><p>&quot;I didn&#x27;t go to [prom]. Never ako nagka-prom date. But I would definitely choose the experiences I had as a kid or as a teenager over, I guess, what people would consider a normal experience,&quot; she said.</p><p>When asked how difficult it was for her parents to be away from her, Alex recognized the sacrifices they also made to support her career.</p><p>&quot;I know they&#x27;ve sacrificed a lot and it shows in the efforts they give me and the love they have. And it makes me so filled with joy when I see how proud they are when I am playing on center court or just when even when I am doing the small things, they tell me they&#x27;re proud, so I am really lucky,&quot; she remarked.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-9" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DafM2YVsXRD/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=642&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A9%2C%22os%22%3A25337530.699999996%2C%22ls%22%3A51537.39999999851%2C%22le%22%3A51601.89999999851%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="1007" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-9" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:658px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Alex was also asked how she and her family navigate the victories and defeats that come with her career.</p><p>&quot;[After a win], we are all just so excited, especially the big ones, and even when they are not there, I call them. They are the first people I call and it&#x27;s a really good scene,&quot; she said.</p><p>When it comes to losing a match, Alex said each defeat affects her differently but ultimately teaches her how to recover and move forward.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2026/5/29/alex-eala-reacts-to-making-forbes-30-under-30-asia-2026-list-1508" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Alex Eala reacts to making Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2026 list</strong></a></div><p>&quot;Every loss is different. Some hit harder than others, and they make you cry; they make you rethink a lot of things. Sometimes they set you back, but I think tennis is such a humbling sport in a way that you lose so many times that you learn to lose and you learn how to get back from those things. And what&#x27;s beautiful about tennis is there is always a next time,&quot; she stated.</p>