The Filipino tennis prodigy should be ready for the next phase of her career.
Last May, Rafael Nadal officially ended his 2023 season due to injuries, which meant he had to miss his favorite major, the French Open. That essentially paved the way for Novak Djokovic to surpass the Spanish superstar in the Grand Slam count.
Tennis’ undisputed king of clay is 37 years old, and is recovering from hip surgery. It’s not surprising at all that the 14-time Roland Garros winner talked about 2024 possibly ending up as his final year in the circuit.
If and when Nadal says goodbye to sport, his legacy will live on, not only through the countless trophies he had won, but also through the promising talents produced by the Rafa Nadal Academy. On Wednesday, the acclaimed tennis center in Mallorca, Spain celebrated its new batch of graduates, which included Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala.
Here’s Eala in a blue toga celebrating her latest achievement.
The 18-year-old Quezon City native spent five years learning the sport from some of the world’s best coaches within the confines of a world-class facility. Now, just like her batchmates, Eala is ready to spread her wings in tennis’ biggest stages. As a cherry on top, she and the class of 2023 received a wonderful message from Nadal himself as he delivered a powerful speech during the program.
“Congratulations,” the 22-time Grand Slam champion greeted his outgoing students.
“I hope you leave here with the tools you need to face the future, whatever it maybe.”
Admittedly, Nadal isn’t fond of telling people what to do. According to him, he’s more into learning through experience. During the momentous occasion, however, he felt compelled to share an invaluable piece of advice.
“I am more in favor of learning things through daily examples. I am only going to give you one [advice], ‘Give yourself opportunities.’ Don’t get frustrated when things don’t work out the first time,” the Bull from Mallorca said.
“Keep giving yourself chances,” the tennis icon reiterated.
Perhaps it’s the exact mantra that kept Nadal going despite all the injuries and other adversities he had to face. That never-back-down attitude has been signature style all these years, and now he hopes to pass it on to Eala and the rest of the newly grads.
(GM)