Alex Eala learned to play tennis on basketball courts and concrete surfaces in the Philippines, where the sport has long taken a back seat to basketball and volleyball.
It is no surprise, then, that hard courts have become her comfort zone.
As Eala prepares for the US Open, the year's final Grand Slam, she returns to the surface that has produced many of the biggest moments of her career.
"I prefer the hard court," Eala said in an interview with Talking Tennis.
"It's the one I grew up on. And I think my game naturally is more suited to that."
For the many Filipino tennis fans who have followed her career, Eala's preference comes as little surprise as it is rooted in familiarity and playing style.
The 21-year-old Filipino star thrives on quick, flat groundstrokes and early ball-striking.
Hard courts reward her aggressive baseline game, allowing her to take the ball on the rise, dictate rallies and transition from defense to offense.
Those instincts were developed through years of training, first in Manila and later at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, where much of her development also came on hard courts.