EJ Obiena supporting Alex Eala in the Italian Open in Rome. Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News.Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena was among the supporters who watched Alex Eala compete live for the first time during her Italian Open campaign in Rome.
Obiena, a known tennis fan, shared how happy he was to finally see the Filipina tennis sensation in person after years of following her journey.
“I don’t know if I’m a good tennis player, but I love tennis, that’s for sure,” Obiena, who traveled by train from his training base in Formia to be up close to the courts of Foro Italico, said with a laugh.
“This is the first time I’ve watched her live. I’ve been following her journey for a long time, and I wanted to watch her in 2023, but our schedules didn’t align. So, I’m happy to be here and be able to watch her fight,” he added.
The Asian record-holder admitted he was feeling nervous while watching Eala battle world No. 2 Elena Rybakina on court.
“I think I was more nervous than her in the first set,” he said. “But she’s mentally very stable, I would say. It doesn’t matter if she double-faults, she just moves on to the next point like it’s nothing, and the fight is always there.”
Obiena also believed the match was much closer than the final score suggested, praising Eala’s movement and ability once rallies developed.
“She made her work. It was not a one-sided competition. It’s much closer than what the score suggests,” he said.
“I mean, the movement, the serve, I think Alex is actually better. When the rally starts, when it becomes a short-ball exchange and all these things, I think Alex actually plays well and wins most of the points,” added Obien.
The Filipino Olympian then sent a heartfelt message to Eala following her Rome run.
“Hey, Alex. Thanks for having me. And what a game,” Obiena said. “I’m really proud of you, especially with the way you fought. Man, I would be panicking!”
“I wish you all the best, and hopefully, I’ll see you at the Asian Games. Stay injury-free and kill it at Roland Garros,” he added.
Meanwhile, Obiena also gave an update on his own season, revealing that he is skipping several early competitions to focus on rebuilding his fitness ahead of a long campaign leading to the Asian Games later this year.
His next tournament is set for June 7 at the Stockholm Diamond League.
“We’re skipping the first few Diamond League events. We want to build up because the season is a bit long, especially with the Asian Games happening in late September,” he shared. “Thankfully, my back is staying in one piece. I hope the rest of the season stays injury-free.”
He also shared that the current plan is to “make it to the Ultimate Athletics in Hungary. Then after that, fly directly to Nagoya.”
“They only take eight of the top 10. That’s basically the whole point of the tournament every year. So, we’ll see. If the season goes well, hopefully, I’ll be there.”