VOGUE MAGAZINE - NOVEMBER 2022 - MICHAELA COEL

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Vogue Philippines visits Alex Eala at her training grounds in Mallorca, mere weeks after her historic win at the US Open. Jacs T. Sampayan talks to the young champion about her early beginnings, her supportive family, and what she thinks of carrying the torch for Philippine tennis. I think to have someone to look up to is a good first step,” Alex adds. “ Yan lang talaga gusto ko, na makaka-inspire ako sa ibang tao.”

Coel plans to build a house in her father’s village and is toying with the idea of buying an apartment in Accra as well. I ask her if the vision of her future home includes a partner. She responds with her trademark wry humor—the annoying thing about having a house in rural Ghana, she tells me, is that you will eventually need someone to help you kill all the creepy-crawlies, if nothing else. Then her tone changes: “I do want a life companion,” she says. “I love romance and I love when romance turns into something deeper, a relationship where there’s understanding, transparency, forgiveness, openness. But you have to find that person, and I personally haven’t seen many healthy men. So I don’t know if I trust myself. I’m trying to do the work. I talk about this in therapy all the time, and actually, person by person, they’re getting healthier and healthier.” As for developing the sport itself in the country, Mike believes that the “best way to help Philippine tennis is to excel. And just show, be an example that the Filipino can do it. Na kayang gawin.” As the children got into tennis more, it was also Lolo who helped frame the family’s mindset. “At an early age, nagtanong siya, ‘ ano ba gusto natin sa tennis? Club player lang ba? Intramurals? Varsity? Gusto mo ba mag-college tennis sa US? Or gusto mo mag-professional? Kasi that would dictate how hard we will push,” Mike, a club player himself, shares. “So we sort of decided [on] college, but as much as possible we tried to train for pro. And if you get a college scholarship, good. And if it’s possible to become pro, then mas maganda. Parang bonus.” When the season debuted, its viewing figures even overtook that of the first instalment. Ashley’s fiery portrayal won praise from critics and viewers – and the fashion world took notice too, making her a front-row fixture as well as the face of the Loewe fragrance Paula’s Ibiza. Mostly though, she became a beacon of hope for young women of colour who were unaccustomed to seeing themselves the glamorous lead of a glossy period drama produced and broadcast in the West.When I curated the exhibition at the V&A in 2009, Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones, I really wanted to have some royal hats in there. I had a hat that Philip Treacy had made for the now Queen Consort, Camilla, and I also wanted to have a hat from the Queen and the Queen Mother. From the Queen, I asked if I could have an Hermès scarf, because I thought that was one of the most wonderful “hats” that she had ever worn. She wore it with a bow under her chin – she was the only person in the world who had ever done that. And I probably rehearsed with scarves for a month on a mannequin before I was able to tie it in the way that Her Majesty would have done it. I was very aware that it was a huge honour. The Queen very kindly chose the hat that the Queen Mother had worn on her 100th birthday to be in that exhibition, which was a very defining moment for me. I never made hats for the Queen, but to be involved in that way was a real honour too. But, your love is a prayer, Pisces. Your love is devotion to both the mysterious forces and ‘the other’. As somebody who brings that ethereal quality to the table, you expect your partner to do the same. Here’s the catch (as there always is): they may be more practical minded than you in certain ways. As a result, they may not *always* be able to meet you where you are or express themselves poetic eloquence. So, make yourself vulnerable. Tell them how you want to be loved and the kind of experiences you desire to share with them. At the same time, move into a state of allowance. This will help you recognise their unique love language. Single Neptunians are being reminded now is *not* the time to settle or lower your expectations. Overheard at the cosmic conference: you’ve been doing the work, honey. You’ve been facing your shadows and transmuting the darkness into light. You deserve a partner who will dance the dance of life with you with the same passion and poise. Her win in New York and the way she so methodically sliced through the field showed how much she has become stronger, physically and mentally, over the years. “I tried not to think about it a lot. And I tried not to think that I needed to win. I didn’t really have any expectations coming into it. That was what was different from the other years, I played match by match instead of [thinking of] winning the whole thing,” Alex, who turned 17 in May, tells Vogue Philippines.

The whole journey of going for a single purpose of winning grand slams, the majors, the pursuit of this in itself is like a huge bonding activity for us,” Mike says. “For example, the milestone win, the US Open. It’s so emotionally charged because it’s not just the moment, it’s that whole journey.” You will be building self-confidence this week, Aquarius, with the full moon in Gemini. You may be leaning into a creative hobby or preparing to launch a passion project you’ve been developing. You may also be realising how you can build yourself up rather than comparing yourself to other people, and you’re showing your true personality in both social and romantic situations. As Mercury moves into Capricorn, your intuition may feel stronger, or you could have an interest in reading about topics related to spirituality or mental health. You might be calming your mind by journaling or meditating. Pisces Horoscope When she was a teenager, Simone Ashley would often spend New Year’s Eve alone, writing letters to herself. “I was a bit of a rebel,” the actor explains, half amused at her own self-seriousness. “I went to a predominantly white all-girls school. I didn’t fit in, there was bullying and I was wishing my life away.” She would remind herself to have perspective, that it’d all be over in a few years. “I would tell myself, ‘You’ll move away from this place, you’ll find your people and you’ll do whatever you want.’”

Aquarius Horoscope

As she excelled and grew more passionate about the game, Alex joined more tournaments, locally and regionally. The Ealas went all in toward the dream.