From Manila Classrooms to Tennis Glory: Where Did Alex Eala Really Study?

Long before Alex Eala was sending tennis balls rocketing past stunned opponents, she was just another student hustling through the daily grind of school life in the Philippines. Well… almost. Because while her classmates were memorizing science formulas for Monday’s quiz, Alex was juggling her homework with training sessions that could exhaust a seasoned pro.

So where exactly did the Philippines’ brightest tennis star sharpen her mind before she sharpened her forehand? That’s where the curiosity — and a bit of mystery — kicks in.

Alex began her schooling in Manila, attending a private school that catered not just to academics but also to nurturing her athletic side. Friends from those early days remember a kid who could just as easily crush a spelling bee as she could crush a backhand. But tennis was always tugging her toward something bigger, and by her early teens, her education had to bend around a schedule packed with tournaments.

Enter the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain — the place where Alex’s formal schooling became intertwined with elite athletic training. Yes, it’s a tennis player’s dream campus, complete with courts, gyms, and classrooms tailored for student-athletes who might need to swap algebra homework for a red-clay battle in Italy at a moment’s notice.

This dual path — Manila’s traditional school life followed by the Nadal Academy’s tailored setup — has been key to Alex’s rise. She got the grounding of a Filipino upbringing with the competitive edge of European training, a combination that’s as rare as it is powerful.

Of course, this hasn’t stopped people from asking the juicier question: Did she ever feel like she missed out on a “normal” school life? Alex has hinted in interviews that while she didn’t attend prom or join school clubs in the usual way, she gained something far more valuable — a front-row seat to her own dreams coming true.

Today, her education is still ongoing in its own way — learning about the world one city, one opponent, and one match at a time. And while the location of her Manila classrooms might be a footnote to some, for Alex, it’s the first chapter in a story that’s still being written.

Because whether it’s in a school hallway or on a Grand Slam court, Alex Eala’s always been the same — focused, driven, and just a little bit ahead of the class.