On November 19, 2024, the former 22-time Grand Slam champion’s astonishing career came to an end after a Davis Cup defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp.
On the first anniversary of his retirement, Nadal said on social media that he was celebrating the day by playing with world number 53 Eala at his academy.
Before Eala became known to the general tennis public, she attended Nadal’s academy in Manacor and graduated there. In some of his previous interviews, the former ATP world number 1 spoke highly of the Filipina’s attitude and approach to the game. So when choosing a partner for a special hitting session, the 14-time French Open champion thought it would be appropriate to do it with the Filipino.
A year later it felt great to be back on a tennis court!
It was great practicing with you @AlexEala05! Next time I will be stronger 😉 pic.twitter.com/XMHkkVvfWh
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) November 19, 2025
Eala: Training with Nadal is something that people and young children can only dream of
“It was so special for me. It’s clear that training with Rafa is something that people and young kids can only dream of. So it was a pleasure to share the court with him. He gave me some tips on my forehand and a few other little pieces of advice. This is the first time in my life that I’ve worked with him and it’s just a memory that will last forever,” the 20-year-old said in a video shared by the academy.
“It is something that people and young children can only dream of.” 🎾💙@AlexEala05 looks back on what it meant to train with @RafaelNadal for the first time @rnadalacademy without a doubt one of the standout moments of her incredible 2025. pic.twitter.com/EXhegK9OsF
— Rafa Nadal Academy (@rnadalacademy) December 30, 2025
After winning the 2022 US Open girls’ singles title, Eala quickly began to make a name for herself in professional tennis as well. In 2025, the Filipina reached her first final in Eastbourne and broke into the top 50 for the first time in her career.
Eala also made tennis history in 2025 by becoming the first Filipino player to record victories over top-5 players and Grand Slam champions.
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