By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negrense tennis star Alex Eala confirmed that representing the country in the Asian Games in Japan later this year remains part of her schedule.

Fresh off her breakthrough Wimbledon campaign, Eala said she is approaching every tournament with the same mindset of taking things one match at a time rather than focusing on a specific finishing position.

“I don’t have a specific round that I say, ‘Oh, I need to reach this.’ The way I approach tournaments is kind of every match by match, round by round,” Eala said.

The 21-year-old added that while every athlete dreams of winning a title, she prefers to focus on the process instead of looking too far ahead.

“I do want to get as far as I possibly can. Of course, the ultimate goal is to win, but I take it round by round,” she said.

Eala also reflected on her growth since turning professional, saying one of the biggest lessons she has learned is managing her emotions during competition.

“I think that one thing I’ve learned about myself is how I can dictate my emotions rather than let my emotions dictate me. So it’s a way of handling myself better,” she said.

“I think it’s a continuous process of learning things. My journey in professional tennis has already been so long, but it’s only getting started,” she added.

The Filipina also addressed a common stereotype about tennis players, rejecting the notion that the sport makes athletes self-centered.

“Maybe a misconception — that’s popping into my head. I’ve heard, I don’t know if this is true, people say that tennis players can be self-centered,” Eala said.

“I think maybe they’re just being self-centered because that’s who they are. It’s true that in tennis, to a certain point, when it comes to competition, you have to put yourself first, and you have to think of yourself,” she added./ASC, WDJ