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The Next Filipino Tennis Superstar Is Only 13 Years Old and She’s Headed to the 2018 French Open

Alex Eala is a girl on a mission

Following an action-packed 2017, where she was named the Asian Tennis Federation’s top player in the under-14 age bracket, Alex Eala is on to the next one…and it’s something big. Her next stop? The 2018 French Open.

The young sports phenom will be competing in the Junior category of the major tennis tournament, which takes place in Paris, France. “I am really excited to be playing at Roland Garros,” shared Eala. “I won’t really know who I will be up against until the night before the match, but I am sure my opponent will be ranked at least in the top 100 for 18 and under girls in the world,” she added. She is scheduled to play May 31, 2018.

via Alex Eala on Facebook

Competing internationally is nothing new to Eala, but this doesn’t stop her from consistently putting in the work. In fact, she has been training and competing non-stop since age six. She won her first junior grand slam championship at the Little Mo International Grand Slam Tournament just two years later.

Her budding tennis career has taken her all over the world—from Colorado to New York and Florida, Croatia to France, Germany to the Netherlands and Belgium—but this is only the beginning for the young tennis star. “I’ve doubled up on my practice and have scheduled tough tune up matches by joining a couple of high caliber tournaments running up to the French Open,” said Eala. “My next goal will be to win as many ITF tournaments (as I can) to get a lot of points which will get me to become one of the top junior players in the world and return to Roland Garros (and the other grand slams) and hopefully win one or a few of them!” she exclaimed.

via Alex Eala on Facebook

With all these under her belt and a lot more she wants to achieve, she remains grateful for the support of her family. “They provide me with everything I need and never fail to encourage me,” she said.

Eala reciprocates by excelling in her studies. “Of course, it is hard being a student athlete because you compete a lot and dedicate a lot of time training, but I always make sure I also have time for school,” she said. On top of this, she was appointed class president and got second honors last semester.

Watch Alex Eala compete at the Roland-Garros 2018 on FOX+, the only streaming website and app that lets sports fans tune in to live games and matches anywhere and on any device.

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