Francis Casey ALCANTARA. Photo from ITFTennis.com
Francis Casey Alcantara, the ringleader of the country’s new tennis “It Boys,” is inching closer to a goal.
Known for his flair, good looks and media savvy, the 25-year-old has strung up four straight ITF Futures titles over the past month. And he’s just getting started.
“I just want to do good and be in the level of Treat Huey,” says the ace from Cagayan de Oro who, in 2009, won the Australian Open juniors doubles crown with Taiwanese partner Hsieh Cheng-peng.
The leader of a new wave of Filipino tennis players that includes Jurence Zosimo Mendoza, Alberto Lim Jr. and Jeson Patrombon, Alcantara says his end-goal is to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in tandem with Huey.
“That’s my main goal, to play in the ATPs, Grand Slams and hopefully the Olympics in Tokyo,” the Pepperdine University graduate confides.
The 32-year-old Huey ranks 43rd in the world in doubles, from as high as 18th. He could have played in the 2016 Rio Olympics if he had a Filipino partner with a high ranking.
Alcantara is now ranked 447th thanks to the support of companies like Peugeot, Wilson, Under Armour, Hammer Nutrition and Solinco.
Huey and Alcantara will qualify for Tokyo 2020 if both reach the top 24 as a team one month before Tokyo Games.
After winning three high-stakes ITF Futures in Singapore with Dutch partner Sam Verbeek, Alcantara snatched the Hong Kong F1 with India’s Karunuday Singh last week.
Now he will pair up again with Singh in three ITF Futures tournaments in China before embarking on two ITF Futures events in Thailand. “[Success] is not going to happen overnight but I’m willing to put in the hard work,” says Alcantara.