Tennis has been making headlines in the country, thanks to Filipina tennis player Alex Eala, whose performance at the Miami Open has brought immense pride to the Philippines.
Prior to the 19-year-old's historic run, there have been numerous Filipinas who stepped onto the international tennis stage over the last few years, carrying the Philippine flag in one hand and a racket in the other.
Ahead, get to know some of the Filipina tennis players who have represented the country over the years:
5 Filipina Tennis Players Who Represented The Philippines
Alex Eala
Alex Eala's recent Miami Open run effectuvely made her the first Filipina athlete to defeat a Grand Slam champion and a top-five Women's Tennis Association (WTA) player. And she didn't just pull off one upset—she took down three tennis superstars in the tournament: Madison Keys, Jelena Ostapenko, and Iga Swiatek.
Suffice it to say, her impressive victories are a testament to the dedication she showed at just 13 years old, when she made the bold decision to move to Spain and train at the Rafael Nadal Academy.
Dyan Castillejo
If the name Dyan Castillejo rings a bell, it's probably because you've seen her as a sports reporter on ABS-CBN. But before she became one of the country's top sports journalists, Dyan was a trailblazer in Philippine tennis.
Her tennis career peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, during which she represented the Philippines in the Fed Cup from 1981 to 1990. She also competed in the Asian Games and Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
She holds the distinction of being the first Filipina to earn a WTA ranking as a professional tennis player.
Denise Dy
Though raised in the US, Filipino-American Denise Dy proudly represented the Philippines at the 2017 SEA Games and came home with two gold medals. During her career, she also achieved a WTA ranking of No. 1139 in singles and No. 715 in doubles.
Now, Denise is making waves beyond the court. She was recently named head coach of the Fresno State Bulldogs, a US NCAA Division I women's tennis team.
Czarina Arevalo
Like many Filipino athletes, Czarina Arevalo had a humble start. ICYDK, she first honed her skills by competing at Palarong Pambansa. Her experience in these local tournaments from the age of seven eventually gave her the confidence to pursue tennis professionally.
Her hard work soon paid off and she went on to become a five-time SEA Games medalist. She also represented the Philippines at the Afro-Asian Games, the Asian Games, and multiple SEA Games editions.
Marisue Jacutin
Originally from Cagayan de Oro, Marisue Jacutin de Mariona was one of the Philippines' top tennis players in the 1990s. At the peak of her tennis career, she was ranked the No. 1 woman in the country from 1989 to 2000. She competed in numerous Fed Cup and SEA Games tournaments, cementing her legacy as one of the best to ever represent the Philippines at the time.
Now based in the US, Marisue has transitioned into coaching and mentoring junior players and college-bound athletes.
*This story originally appeared on Cosmo.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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