Before the Rafa Nadal Academy and the WTA top 20, Alex Eala learned the game in Metro Manila: at Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig, with her grandfather as her first coach, and at her school, Colegio San Agustin Makati. The story of Alex Eala at Valle Verde begins when she was about four. Below are those places, with courts, coaches and published rates (as of 8 October 2026).
Her grandfather Roberto "Bobby" Maniego, Alex Eala's first coach
Alex Eala's first coach was her maternal grandfather, Roberto "Bobby" Maniego – her lolo. A club player without a formal coaching background, he introduced her to tennis at about the age of four and coached her until she moved to Spain. In 2012, aged seven, she played a 10-and-under tournament in Puerto Princesa with her father, Mike Eala, and her grandfather beside her.
He reportedly chose the club's single hard court over the shell courts, so she would learn on the surface used abroad, and arrived hours before school ended to secure it for Alex and her brother Miko. By early 2021 Philippine press referred to him as "the late" Bobby Maniego; the year of his death is not confirmed in the sources we checked. In July 2026 Eala told GMA she grew up in Quezon City on a court that was painted over a basketball court; she did not name it, so it may be a different court from Valle Verde. More on her family is in the Alex Eala biography.
Valle Verde Country Club: where Alex Eala learned tennis
Valle Verde Country Club is a non-profit, non-stock private club incorporated on 30 May 1975, on Capt. Henry Javier Street, Brgy. Oranbo, Pasig City, near Capitol Commons in Ortigas. Eala started there as a preschooler on the shell courts. In July 2026 the ITF reported that her old club celebrated her Wimbledon win over Iga Swiatek, and PhilTA executive director Tonette Mendoza recalled her as a child playing 10-and-under events against boys.
Valle Verde tennis courts, programmes and coaches
The club's official tennis page lists 13 courts – 6 covered and 7 open – two programmes, Beginners and Intermediate & Advanced, and three coaches: Jimmy Cura, Gee Abacan and Karl Santamaria. Santamaria trained Alex and Miko at Valle Verde from around 2012 under the grandfather's guidance and later became head coach of the Philippine national team. The club also hosts national junior tournaments, such as the PPS-PEPP junior events of 2023 and 2024.
Valle Verde tennis court rates published by the club
The rates below come from the official Valle Verde tennis page, last updated in October 2021, so current prices and coaches may differ. Valle Verde is members-only; a guest fee exists, but no public sign-up for lessons is published online.
| Item | Rate per hour |
|---|---|
| Tournament courts 1, 9 and 10 | ₱180 |
| Indoor courts 12, 13 and 14 | ₱130 |
| Outdoor courts 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 | ₱115 |
| Court 6 with lights / without lights | ₱170 / ₱150 |
| Guest fee | ₱80 |
| Ball boy | ₱100 |
| Trainer class A / B / C | ₱220 / ₱200 / ₱180 |
Alex Eala's school in Manila: Colegio San Agustin Makati
Before Spain, Alex Eala's school was Colegio San Agustin Makati (CSA Makati), a private Augustinian Catholic school on Palm Avenue, Dasmariñas Village, Makati. The school says she played on its tennis courts when she was just starting out, and she came back to visit on 14 July 2025.
The 2015 Rafa Nadal Academy clinic where she was first scouted
On 6 December 2015, Rafael and Toni Nadal held a Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar clinic at CSA Makati, organised by Topspin Ace PH and presented by Globe Telecom, by invitation for players aged 6 to 16. Alex and Miko both took part. In December 2025 CSA described it as the clinic where Eala was first scouted for the academy in Mallorca. Her path to a scholarship in 2018 is on our page about Alex Eala and the Rafa Nadal Academy.
The December 2025 clinic and her earlier school
In December 2025 the academy returned to CSA Makati for a week-long clinic with four academy coaches for players aged 8 to 18. Before CSA, Eala reportedly attended Immaculate Conception Academy in Greenhills, San Juan; profiles mention it, but the school has not published details.
Rizal Memorial Tennis Center: practice courts and a home WTA event
The Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, in the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Pablo Ocampo Street (formerly Vito Cruz) in Malate, Manila, is owned by the City of Manila and operated by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). It opened on 4 May 1987, was refurbished in 1996 and 2025–26, and has outdoor hard courts.
Eala practised there as a pre-teen: in January 2026 she said she had last played at Rizal about eight years earlier, just before turning 13. She returned for the Philippine Women's Open (WTA 125, 26–31 January 2026), the first WTA event in the Philippines. As a wildcard and No. 2 seed she beat Alina Charaeva 6-1, 6-2 and Himeno Sakatsume 6-4, 6-0, then lost the quarterfinal to Camila Osorio 4-6, 4-6.
Rizal Memorial tennis court rates and booking
Courts are rented on a walk-in basis through the PSC. A PSC rate sheet dated January 2026 reportedly lists ₱1,000 per court per hour with lights and ₱300 without; we could not open the document directly, so confirm with the PSC before you go.
Alex Eala's first junior titles in the Philippines
In 2013 she topped the 10-and-under category of the Truflex championship series in Cebu, her first local tournament win. In November 2018, aged 13 and already a Rafa Nadal Academy scholar, she won the first-leg girls' singles title at the PHINMA-PSC International Juniors at the Manila Polo Club. Her junior Grand Slam titles, including the 2022 US Open girls' singles, are on the page about Alex Eala's Grand Slam results, and her history-making firsts are among Alex Eala's records.
Can my child train where Alex Eala started?
Mostly through membership or enrolment. Valle Verde is a private club with access through membership; its official website has membership pages and lists newsboard@valleverdecountryclub.com as its contact e-mail. At CSA Makati, entry is through the school's official CSA admissions page; no external tennis programme is published. Rizal Memorial is the public option, with walk-in court rental. Courts are scarce: PhilTA says the Philippines has fewer than 1,000. We found no announced 2026 Rafa Nadal Academy clinic in Manila as of 8 October 2026. See also our Alex Eala facts and the Alex Eala photo gallery.
Questions about where Alex Eala started
Who was Alex Eala's first coach?
Her maternal grandfather, Roberto "Bobby" Maniego, introduced her to tennis at about four and coached her until she moved to Spain. From around 2012 Valle Verde coach Karl Santamaria also trained her.
Is Alex Eala's lolo still alive?
By early 2021 Philippine press described him as "the late" Bobby Maniego. The year of his death is not confirmed in the sources we checked.
Where did Alex Eala learn to play tennis?
At Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig City, from about the age of four. She also played on the courts of Colegio San Agustin Makati and at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center before joining the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2018.
What school did Alex Eala attend in Manila?
Colegio San Agustin Makati, before leaving for Spain; earlier she reportedly attended Immaculate Conception Academy in Greenhills, San Juan. She graduated from the Rafa Nadal Academy's high-school programme in 2023.
How much does tennis cost at Valle Verde Country Club?
The club page lists courts at ₱115 to ₱180 per hour, trainers at ₱180 to ₱220 per hour and a ₱80 guest fee. It was last updated in October 2021 and the club is members-only, so ask the club for current rates.
Can the public book a court at Rizal Memorial Tennis Center?
Yes, on a walk-in basis through the Philippine Sports Commission. A January 2026 rate sheet reportedly lists ₱1,000 per court per hour with lights and ₱300 without.