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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Alex Eala cherishes life lessons from Lolo Bob

Alex Eala cherishes life lessons from Lolo Bob

Published Jan 29, 2026 08:46 pm

At A Glance

  • There are countless ways to describe how special the bond is between grandparents and their grandchildren, as well as the many ways both sides reciprocate their love for one another.
There are countless ways to describe how special the bond is between grandparents and their grandchildren, as well as the many ways both sides reciprocate their love for one another.
For tennis sensation Alex Eala, the life lessons from her late grandfather Roberto “Bobby” Maniego, who passed away in 2019, is part of her success story.
The 20-year-old Eala often thought of her Lolo Bobby, particularly during her winning moments.
“Yeah, my grandpa was a very big part of my life and of my early career. He was my coach ever since I started up until I moved to Spain,” said Eala.
“And I think about him every once in a while when I have good results, and I guess that happened quite often last year, which is a good thing,” she added.
Maniego, the father of Southeast Asian Games bronze-winning swimmer Rizza Maniego-Eala, was once a coach to siblings Alex and Mikko. He was also supported by longtime juniors mentor Karl Santamaria.
The WTA No. 49 Eala also thought of what would be her lolo's reaction to her current success on the global stage.
“And, yeah, sometimes I think [about] what he would tell me or how he would feel or how he would look or how he would react, if he saw all that I've achieved today,” Eala continued.
“But he's always been so supportive, and he's always sacrificed a lot for me, and even when I wasn't at this level or famous or anything like that, he was there, showed up every day,” she concluded.
“And I think that just reflects on how much love he has for me and the family.”
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