The Rafa Nadal Academy star Alexandra Eala gave her candid views on how she has been dealing with visa issues due to her Philippine passport. Due to the country’s passport being ranked one of the lowest in the world, the star player has some additional challenges while travelling for her tours worldwide.
The Filipina recently made a name for herself after defeating Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open last month. Earlier to this, she had also defeated the 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the group stages. However, she failed to sail past Jessica Pegula and faced a heartbreak in the semifinals of the tournament even after delivering a strong performance.
In a recent interview with Esquire Magazine, Eala shed light upon how she also has to combat the challenge of getting visas and standing in long queues to make her dream of becoming one of the greatest tennis players in the world a success. Coming from a country that is ranked 74th in the Henley Passport Index, she candidly spoke on the matter.
“It takes so much time. For me, I find challenging the visas, being able to plan,” she said.
She is currently at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca, Spain, where she has been studying since she was 12.