History making Filipinas find friendship in each other as racer Bianca Bustamante raves about her friendship with tennis rising star Alex Eala.
Consider Bianca Bustamante as one of the biggest supporters of Philippine tennis sensation Alex Eala, with the Formula 3 driver gushing about their friendship right before she makes her debut in the GB3 Championship later this month with Elite Motorsport.
During a roundtable interview with select media, Bustamante spoke about how she was able to find inspiration from Eala’s recent run to the semifinals at the Miami Open, especially since she herself is a Filipina athlete raring to make her mark on the international circuit.
Knowing how their success can impact others, Eala's stunning run in the WTA 1000 event proved to be a great motivation for Bustamante.
“I feel like, you know, we were never really known for sports, but now we've got multiple athletes representing us and not just in basketball or football, but actually in tennis. Like Alex Eala, she's a friend of mine and watching her succeed and rally through all of it is incredible,” Bustamante said.
“So, yeah, seeing a lot of fellow Filipino and Filipina athletes really push through and break boundaries and barriers is incredible. And that is why I do what I do as well. You know, I want to pass the torch a little bit brighter to the next generation,” she added.
Both aiming to be trailblazers in their own right, Bustamante said that communication was constant between her and the Rafa Nadal Academy scholar.
Now that she’s based in London, 20-year-old Bustamante hopes to link up with Alex, especially when Eala comes for Wimbledon later this year.
“I told her that she has to visit me when she comes to London. Because obviously she will be qualified for the Wimbledon Open. So that is very cool. So I'll be seeing her soon for the Wimbledon Open. I think I watched every single one of her competitions in the [Miami] Open,” Bustamante said.
Despite feeling ecstatic at her friend’s success, Bianca said that she did have a feeling that Eala was close to a breakthrough — much like she herself has also made strides into hopefully realizing her dream of making it to Formula 1 as a female driver.
Having been witness to the years of Eala's hard work, Bustamante raved about her friend being able to finally get well-deserved wins and greater opportunities.
“I think it's like one of those [runs]. It was a dream run for her. But it was just like... I always had a feeling that it will eventually happen. It was a long time coming, you know. It was like, you ever meet a talent, an athlete that you follow and you follow on social media and you just know that, oh yeah, she'll have her moment. And once that moment comes, she'll be a great talent. And she is,” said Bustamante.
“She's incredibly hardworking. And again, she's such a great human being as well. So yeah, watching her succeed is great.”
At the end of the day, Bustamante and Eala are alike in more ways that one can imagine.
Apart from both being born in 2005 and growing up in the Philippines with little to no recognition of their sport, the two friends are now being touted as the pinnacle of their respective fields at such a young age.
With more to come, Bustamante hopes that she and Eala will be able to continue to make their mark.
“I made it my personal endeavor to not just represent, but to encourage and inspire and show the next generation that anything is possible and that there is no space that you can't be, that there's no space in this world where you can't be in anymore,” said Bustamante.
While Eala is already back in action with her clay season in Portugal, Bustamante will also be starting her GB3 season in a week’s time. The 2025 season opens in Silverstone next weekend for three rounds of racing on April 26 and 27.