Rafael Nadal academy player Alex Eala clinches second pro title in Thailand

Alex Eala, who trains at Rafael Nadal's academy, won her second pro title after besting home favorite Luksika Kumkhum 6-4, 6-2 in the W25 Chiang Rai ITF tournament in Thailand yesterday.

Eala, a 16-year-old ace from the Philippines, broke her much older and more experienced opponent in the last game, firing a forehand down-the-line winner at match point to seal the win.

Eala won her first ITF trophy at last year's W15 Manacor held at the Rafa Nadal Academy, where she has been a student since 2018.

Eala, who is ranked No. 533, said her victory meant a lot, especially after a challenging few months during which she incurred a foot injury and was laid low by COVID.

"It means the world to me, especially after a tough couple of months towards the end of 2021 dealing with a foot injury and COVID," Alex Eala told Sportskeeda.

It was a tight contest in the first set until the 28-year-old Kumkhum faltered in the 10th game, handing Eala a break point. Eala converted and took the opener when the Thai player dumped the ball into the net. Eala then raced to a 4-1 lead in the second set and never looked back.

Kumkhum is currently ranked No. 841 in the world and enjoyed a career-high ranking of No. 66 in 2018.

Eala debuted as a wildcard in her first WTA 1000 tournament in Miami this year. Although she lost 6-2, 6-1 to American Madison Brengle in the first round, she took it as a learning experience as she slowly transitioned from the juniors to the women's circuit.

"It was a great learning experience for me and seeing the level of competition in that environment motivated me to continue to work harder," Alex Eala told Sportskeeda.

She won two Grand Slam titles in doubles as a junior, first ruling the Australian Open with partner Priska Madelyn Nugroho of Indonesia in 2020 then following it up with another crown at Roland Garros the following year as she teamed up with Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva.

As a singles junior player, Eala ranked as high as No. 2 in October 2020.

Alex Eala's takeaway from Rafael Nadal: Always stay composed

Witnessing 21-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal's work ethic and attitude up close is surely one of the many benefits of being a player in his academy. Alex Eala revealed that one of her biggest takeaways from observing the Spaniard was the importance of maitaining composure on the court.

"One of the biggest observations that I take away from Rafa is to always keep composure on the court," Eala, who is also a lefty like Nadal, told Sportskeeda.

Eala will now shift her focus to the Southeast Asian Games slated for next month in Vietnam.