TENNIS prodigy and Globe Ambassador Alex Eala got a tremendous boost several days before the start of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year after being ranked ninth in the latest International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Juniors Ranking.
Eala, 14, earned 1,452.50 points to become the highest Southeast Asian player in the world’s top 10.
Eala, thus, secured a spot in the main draw of the Australian Open, the first of four Grand Slam events she is set to compete in this year.
“I couldn’t have made it without you. Thank you Rafa Nadal Academy, Globe Telecom and Babolat,” Eala posted on her Facebook account.
A Globe ambassador for the last four years, the company has been sponsoring the tennis sensation since she was eight years old. Eala is also a scholar at the prestigious tennis academy in Spain owned by world’s No. 1 Rafael Nadal.
“We are so proud of what Alex has achieved, so far. Like what I have said so many times before, Alex can accomplish whatever she wants as long as she continues to work hard, persevere and focus on her goals. We wish her well on the upcoming Australian Open and we call all our kababayan to rally once more behind Alex as she competes against the world’s best,” Ernest Cu, Globe president and CEO, said.
After finishing the 2018 season ranked 248th in the world, Eala had a breakthrough run last year to jump to a then career-best 13th last October.
She improved two notches higher after winning the Orange Bowl doubles tournament in Florida last December to move within a spot of breaking the elite top 10 best players of the world.
Eala will start her 2020 season by competing in the Traralgon Junior International in Victoria, Australia, on Friday. This will serve as her warm-up tournament before opening her Australian Open Juniors Tournament that unfolds in Melbourne on January 25.