Alexandra Eala of the Philippines acknowledges the crowd after losing to Belinda Bencic of Switzerland during day eight of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers at Sobeys Stadium on August 09, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. Matthew Stockman, Getty Images/AFP
MANILA — Beyond Alex Eala’s prowess, head coach Joan Bosch pointed to the intangibles behind the Filipina tennis sensation’s ascent on the world stage.
In an interview with Diary of a Professional Tennis Coach, the Spanish mentor praised Eala for striking a balance between her competitiveness and composure, regardless of the outcome of her matches.
“She’s smart. She understands that to be competitive doesn’t mean to behave badly,” said Bosch. “There are players or people who cannot manage [emotions] because not everyone is the same.”
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Bosch pointed to how Eala dealt with her loss to Maya Joint in the final of last year's Eastbourne Open, where the Australian saved four match points to steal the victory with a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(10) win.
Despite the heartbreak, Bosch praised Eala for keeping her composure and moving forward after the loss.
“Maybe you lost today because the other one did better, or because you had bad luck. But Alex is super competitive, she tries at every point, and she never gives up,” he said.
According to Bosch, Eala’s ability to handle both adversity and success can also be traced to her upbringing, particularly her strong relationship with her grandfather, Roberto Maniego.
“Alex is a very respectful player,” Bosch said. “She was coached by her grandfather, and she has a lot of respect for her grandfather, and that also helps.”
For Bosch, Eala’s intangibles could serve as an example for other young players on how to deal with both wins and losses.
“Nowadays, the young ones, frustration comes faster,” he said. “The problem is many don’t do it again. But also, when you're young, you can work on that.”