DESPITE WEATHER CHALLENGES AND COACHING SHORTAGE, IS FILIPINO TENNIS A SLEEPING GIANT?

Alexandra Eala was all smiles during her incredible Miami Open run in March. (Getty/Robert Prange)

The recent emergence of Alexandra Eala and her amazing semi-final run at the Miami Open earlier this year raised some interesting questions. Where did this girl come from? How many other players are coming out of the Philippines, and what is tennis like over there?

Sharlene Yu is a local Filipino businesswoman and passionate tennis player who travels to Australia several times a year, the perfect person to help others gain a new perspective on tennis in the Philippines and how it compares with Australian tennis. 

The First Serve (TFS) recently sat down with Sharlene to learn about tennis in the Philippines.

TFS: What brings you to Sydney?

SY: I travel to Sydney several times a year for work. At least it is meant to be for work, but now I schedule my tennis lessons first and then organise my work around them, but don't tell my boss that! I also married an Australian/Filipino/Chinese man, and I always wanted our children to study here, and I intend to retire here eventually.

TFS: What got you into tennis?

SY: Tennis is part of our PE curriculum in high school. At the time, I was in the Junior Varsity basketball team, but fell in love with tennis, so I tried out for the tennis team.

Then I started watching tennis on TV with my dad. Tennis was becoming popular at this time due to cable TV. This was during the [Pete] Sampras, [Andre] Agassi, [Michael] Chang and [Pat] Rafter era.

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TFS: What is tennis like in the Philippines?

SY: Most people playing tennis come from affluent families. Only the top private and international schools have tennis as part of their PE program and have tennis built into their inter-school competition. There are only a few tournaments in the country that are open to recreational adult players. The rest are geared towards the youth.

TFS: What are some of the challenges?

SY: Accessibility to courts and coaching.

Coaching is expensive, and there are very few good, qualified coaches. Most of the trainers and coaches learned tennis by playing in their free time as a ball boy.

The weather is also a challenge because, due to the Philippines being an earthquake-prone country, it is hard to maintain hard courts. We usually play on shell courts, which are similar to clay courts.

TFS: What is the system like in terms of hiring a court?

SY: For my club (Vale Verde Country Club), it is on a first-come, first-served basis. Courts in other clubs can be hired through online reservations, but they are limited.

TFS: Is it easy to hire/gain access to a court? 

SY: Only if you are part of the club and have a membership. Most communities do not have any courts.

TFS: What is the coaching like over there?

SY: I hired a coach to teach me in the mid-1990s; the techniques have evolved since then.

Most of the coaches started as ball boys at the club, where they would pick up tennis balls for the coach and students during their lessons. They teach more singles and doubles strategies rather than technique. 

TFS: What are the main differences between tennis in the Philippines and Australia in terms of tennis?

SY: The popularity in Australia is greater, even public schools offer tennis. Also, hosting a Grand Slam helps with the sport's popularity! Basketball and football are the main sports for Filipinos.

TFS: Alex Eala is from the Philippines. Do you know much about her?

SY: Alex grew up training at our club. Her grandfather is friends with my father-in-law. She would practice on the one hard court we have.

She and her brother used to play a lot until her brother moved to the US, while Alex was accepted into the Rafael Nadal academy.

TFS: Where does tennis rank in terms of popularity at home?

SY: I would say the most popular are basketball, volleyball, badminton, golf, gymnastics, all before tennis. Tennis has been gaining more popularity, and currently, due to Alex's fairytale run in Miami and her continued rise, more Filipinos are tuning in to watch her play.

It appears there are many passionate players like Sharlene in the Philippines. They are obviously facing challenges such as access to court hire, affordability, access to courts and coaching, which is a shame, as with a large population and a passion for the game, there is an opportunity for them to become more than a sleeping giant of tennis, and a potential force on the world stage.

Hopefully, with the emergence and continued rise of Alexandra Eala, a new generation of players will be inspired to pick up a racquet. 

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