Another Filipina tennis talent rises as Crystal Saphire Embol makes history following Alex Eala’s rise and growing presence on the international stage.
The 16-year-old athlete captured two gold medals at the State Games of America held in State College, Pennsylvania, winning both the Women’s Open Singles and Women’s Open Doubles national championships while representing Team West Virginia.
Embol became the first Filipina to win a State Games of America National Championship, according to the State Games of West Virginia, after defeating competitors from Colorado, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Her championship run began with an 8-4 victory in the Women’s Open Singles event, followed by an 8-0 win in the title match to secure her first gold medal. She later completed her historic campaign by winning the Women’s Open Doubles championship and finishing the tournament with two national titles.
Beyond her titles, Embol was also selected as the flag bearer for Team West Virginia during the opening ceremony of the biennial tournament.
The Filipina athlete, whose roots trace back to Misamis Occidental, said the achievement came from years of commitment and perseverance.
“Hindi ko po inaasahan na makakamit ko ‘to. Pinagtrabahuhan ko lang araw-araw and ‘di ko po sinukuan,” said Embol.
“Para po ‘to sa aking pamilya, mga coaches, and siyempre para sa Pilipinas,” she added.
Before her historic double-gold run, Embol had already won West Virginia’s Women’s Open title in the previous two years. She also credited Alex Eala as one of her biggest inspirations, saying the Filipina tennis star encouraged her to dream bigger and proudly represent her heritage every time she competes.
Embol now hopes to continue developing her career, reach the WTA level, and represent the Philippines in international competitions as she continues developing her career in tennis.
