First interactions with Rafael Nadal

Alex shares meeting Rafa at Madrid airport and describes his down-to-earth presence at the academy.

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Episode notes

In this episode of Served, Andy Roddick and Jon Wertheim sit down with the "Pride of the Philippines," Alex Eala, to peel back the curtain on her meteoric rise. Alex gets incredibly candid about her journey, from training with her grandfather on basketball courts to moving to the Rafa Nadal Academy at age 13 and the surreal experience of becoming a national hero.

Producer Mike and Jon Wertheim also talk about some big headlines coming out of the first week in Miami: questions swirl after Naomi Osaka hints at retirement, Iga Świątek fires her coach Wim Fissette, and Carlos Alcaraz loses to Sebastian Korda in the third round. Also, Wimbledon has announced that some courts will have electronic video review available for the 2026 tournament.

COMMENT BELOW: What was your favorite moment from the Alex Eala interview? 📩 Sign up for the Newsletter here: https://servedmedia.substack.com/ Check out some Served Merch: https://store.servedpodcast.com/ 📱If you're new to the Served with Andy Roddick, we're happy you're here! Follow us for more: https://www.instagram.com/servedpodcast/ https://x.com/Served_Podcast https://www.tiktok.com/@served_podcast Theme music composed, produced, and mixed by Dan Whittemore. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwhit.wav/

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Introduction & Teaser

0:54 Welcome to Served

2:49 Sebastian Korda stuns Carlos Alcaraz in Miami

5:31 Naomi Osaka’s retirement rumors & Talia Gibson’s rise

10:06 Wimbledon’s new video review technology for 2026

13:29 Iga Swiatek parts ways with coach Wim Fissette

19:37 Interview: Alex Eala joins the show

20:54 Reflecting on the 2025 Miami Open breakout

23:52 Representing the Philippines & dealing with fame

30:45 Backstory: Training with Grandpa & moving to Spain at 13

35:16 First interactions with Rafa Nadal