Filipina teen tennis star Alexandra “Alex” Eala has won her first-ever professional doubles title, dominating the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W50 Pune in India together with her Latvian court partner Darja Semenistaja.
The No. 4 seed pairing of Eala and Semenistaja displayed exceptional skill and teamwork to triumph over the tournament’s top-seeded pair, Naiktha Bains of Great Britain and Fannin Stollar of Hungary, with scores of 7-6, 6-3.
Eala and Semenistaja showcased their prowess from the onset, overcoming formidable opponents through the tournament’s stages. They started their victorious journey by defeating Eri Shimizu of Japan and Yu-Yun Li of Chinese Taipei in the opening round. The quarterfinals saw them outplay Jessie Aney from the USA and Lena Papadakis of Germany, followed by a win against the Japanese pair Saki Imamura and Naho Sato in the semifinals.
Celebrating this milestone, Eala expressed her joy and gratitude through a social media post on January 28, 2024, saying, “First doubles title! Thank you Darja,” accompanied by celebratory photos with their trophy.
This victory marks a significant highlight in 18-year-old Eala’s growing pro career, which has already seen her reach a professional career-high ranking of No. 185 at the start of the year. The January 2024 pro doubles champion title is the latest addition to her achievements. Her successes in professional tournaments include her fourth pro single title from the W25 Roehampton in Great Britain in 2023, her third at the W25 Yecla in Spain also in 2023, her second pro title at the W25 Chiang Rai in Thailand in 2022, and her first pro title at the W15 Manacor in Spain in 2021.
Celebrate Alex Eala’s historic victory by sharing her story of triumph and perseverance. Let’s inspire others with her journey and continue supporting Filipino athletes making waves on the global stage. Share this article to spread the word about Alex’s remarkable achievement!
