Filipino tennis star Alex Eala. Photo from RAFAEL NADAL ACADEMY
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala picked up where she left off on Wednesday night.
Fresh off her first professional title win, Eala showed she is hungry for more after turning back Mirjam Bjorklund of Sweden, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, in the second leg of the W15 Manacor ITF Rafa Nadal Academy World Tennis Tour in Mallorca, Spain.
The 15-year-old Eala moved on to the second round where she will face either Alba Carrillo Marin of Spain or Lena Papadakin of Germany for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Eala won the first leg of the tournament in comeback fashion last Sunday, beating Spain’s Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.
Her breakthrough win in the professional ranks drew praise from tennis superstar and current world No. 2 Rafael Nadal.
Eala has been a scholar at Rafa Nadal Academy since 2018.