PH tennis trailblazer Francis “Nino” Alcantara embraces veteran role in sixth SEA Games

Philippine tennis has enjoyed a surge in attention in recent years, largely driven by the rise of young sensation Alex Eala, who has emerged as arguably the best young player in Southeast Asia.

But before Eala’s ascent, there was Francis “Nino” Alcantara—a trailblazer who carved his place in history as the first Filipino to win a juniors Grand Slam title. Alcantara achieved the milestone at the 2009 Australian Open, capturing the boys’ doubles crown alongside Hsieh Cheng-peng of Chinese Taipei.

Now 33, Alcantara has embraced his role as a steady veteran in Philippine tennis. The 2025 SEA Games in Bangkok, Thailand, marks his sixth appearance in the biennial meet, where he has already collected two gold medals, one silver, and one bronze. This year, he aims to add even more hardware to his impressive resume.

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“This is my sixth one. I have been playing SEA Games for the last 12 years. So I’m the kuya of the team na. We have all these like young kids, even like our opponents, they are super young. Ruben Gonzalez and I, we are the OGs here in SEA Games. So yeah, we are excited. And yeah, very happy to be back and playing for the country again,” Gonzalez said in an interview with The GAME.

STILL SERVING UP FOR THE COUNTRY 🇵🇭🎾

Niño Alcantara is competing in his sixth SEA Games, the latest milestone in a tennis career that saw him become the first 🇵🇭 juniors Grand Slam winner nearly 17 years ago when Alex Eala was just three years old. https://t.co/uRjsIgc6Nj

— The Game Magazine (@thegamemagph) December 10, 2025

With Eala now taking the sport by storm, Alcantara shared that her rise came as no surprise, noting that her potential was evident early on—especially after she and her brother Miko earned scholarships to the prestigious Rafa Nadal Academy.

“With Alex, I think she is very fortunate that she got a scholarship at the Rafa Nadal Academy when she was 12 with her brother Miko, and from there, they did really well, both of them. But locally, it was tough because we don’t have academies.

“It was a long time coming. We knew that she was going to win some juniors, but it took a while because we don’t really have anything back home. So she had to train in Spain and do her thing there. Oh, yeah. I mean, she won the Les Petit As when she was like 12 years old. So, yeah. All the big players win this tournament,” Gonzalez continued.

In 2022, Alcantara teamed up with Eala to secure a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the Asian Games in Hangzhou—ending the country’s 16-year tennis medal drought.

Alcantara remains eager to continue representing the Philippines on the international stage and is hopeful of reuniting with Eala for the next Asian Games, set for 2026 in Japan.

“I would love to play, but it depends on the association because they will pick the players. I don’t know. Maybe they will schedule a tryout for it. But I’m always ready. I’m always up for it. And because Alex and I, we have to defend our bronze medal. Hopefully we can do better this Asian Games next year. I hope she can carry me,” he concluded.

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