00:00How was the salon and what did you see?
00:02Oh it was super exciting.
00:04My dad is a UP alumni so I'm very happy to be here with the family.
00:10And I'm not a huge fan of basketball so I think after this game I'm going to be a little more into it.
00:18And it's nice to see the intensity of other players and the overall atmosphere here in the college.
00:25Thank you. And what are some of your questions?
00:27Alex, of course being an elite athlete like yourself, you're used to atmospheres like these.
00:34So do you think that there's any similarity between you and the players that you see on the court?
00:39And I guess how you relate to them even though you're playing separate sports?
00:42Oh well of course. I think all athletes have sort of a...
00:48Well on understanding, I actually seem to respect other athletes for what they do.
00:52Especially because I know how hard they have to work at a certain level.
00:58Yeah so I'm super lucky to have been able to time the game well.
01:07How can this part of the journey, the feeling of being able to play 2-3-3-1-1-1, recently against Cusco,
01:16like that was a good game, benefits a lot.
01:18How does this part of playing against these big-name athletes?
01:22Well I think playing against these big-name athletes are really going to help my development and my progress.
01:28In the end those are the athletes that I'm going to have to beat if I want to go where I actually want to go.
01:35And I think the past few matches against these big-name athletes have been really good.
01:40So taking it step-by-step, I can't rush myself and pressure myself into doing anything that I wanted.
01:52Alex, you've been competing all this year and you almost had those moments in the WTA and getting into the main draws for you.
02:02What's the biggest takeaway for you competing in much tougher competitions?
02:10I think one of the biggest takeaways is not to rush or not to feel pressured.
02:18Sometimes I think that after a loss, I think, oh I'm working so hard, so why aren't I seeing the results that I want?
02:27And I have to remember that everyone else is working the same amount of hard work.
02:33So that also pushes me to work harder.
02:38Although rest is super important in the journey, you still have to find your limits and push them.
02:46Alex, you're talking about your season not being over yet.
02:49Where are you headed after your short vacation here?
02:52So I started in Japan when they played.
02:56And then, actually, I'll play the Beijing Game Cup, which is, I'll be part of the Beijing Games, of course.
03:04And it's a big milestone for me because I've never played in that specific game before.
03:10And I'm super excited to be part of a women's team.
03:14And then after, I'll go to Dubai and end up there.
03:19Alex, at this young point in your career, how far or how close are you to where you want to be?
03:26At least right now.
03:28Oh, I see. I would say I'm far.
03:30Yes, in terms of results, I'm far.
03:33I would say I'm very busy.
03:35And I know that the road is very long.
03:38So although I'm happy with where I am right now, it does not mean that I want to stay there.
03:45Of course, I always want to do that.
03:47And last year, your holiday wish was to compete in all four slams.
03:52Now, this year, what's your one wish?
03:55You're not yet over with this season, but looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, what's still that goal or wish that you have?
04:03Well, of course, a big goal for me would be to play in the big draw.
04:07I think it would mean a lot to be there.
04:10And the last three slams, I thought they were really, really close, which is good.
04:17But at the same time, sometimes it can be disheartening that I lost in a very tight match.
04:25But in the end, you look back on it and you know what you did.
04:31Thank you very much, Alex.
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