Alex Eala has skipped her second professional tournament due to the coronavirus threat in Tunisia.
The 14-year-old Eala won’t be joining the International Tennis Federation women’s Monastir Leg II after coaches from the Rafa Nadal Academy asked her to return to Mallorca, Spain.
Her father, Michael Francis Eala said Alex was supposed to play her first-round match against 23-year-old qualifier Tea Jandric of Croatia yesterday.
Mr. Eala, who recently received the Tony Siddayao award of his daughter during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Awards Night, said the Academy has recalled all players under its care and the coaches that are traveling with them to tournaments.
The move will help all players and coaches to avoid airport lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It has been a fruitful two months for the young Eala.
After winning the Australian Open Junior doubles’ championship last January, Eala claimed her first pro match victory two weeks ago in the opening leg of the Monastir tournament, beating 700th-ranked Nadia Echeverria Alam of Venezuela.
But she eventually missed the quarterfinals following a three-set loss to world no. 600 Nina Stadler of Switzerland.
Since last year, Eala has been with the RNA with her brother Miko. They have since been studying at the American International School of Mallorca.
Alex fell to a 6-4, 6-7 (6), 5-7 loss to third-seed Swiss netter Nina Stadler yesterday in the $15,000 $15,000 International Tennis Federation women’s tournament in Monastir, Tunisia.
This put Stadler in the quarterfinals, where she will next face Bosnia’s Nefisa Berberovic.
The sixth-seeded Berberovic made it after she put away Joanna Zawadzka, 6-1, 6-1 of Poland.
Top seed Nastja Kolar also advanced after her 6-1, 6-0 win over Lucie Petruzelova of the Czech Republic.
The 14-year-old Eala, now ranked no. 4 in the world junior rankings, is on her first professional outing.
She became a Rafa Nadal Academy scholar after clinching a wildcard to the 2018 Roland Garros juniors tournament qualifiers.
Scouts from the RNA invited her to join the academy, which is run by Rafael Nadal, who is a 19-time Grand Slam winner.
The Ealas have since been studying at the American International School of Mallorca.