BRONZE’S A CHARM. Shaira Hope Rivera of the Philippines displays her bronze medal after the women’s tennis team event at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December 2025. Rivera, a former Davao City standout, helped the national team secure a podium finish before returning to the United States to pursue a master’s degree at the University of West Alabama while remaining eligible to compete and available for national team duty.
BRONZE’S A CHARM. Shaira Hope Rivera of the Philippines displays her bronze medal after the women’s tennis team event at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December 2025. Rivera, a former Davao City standout, helped the national team secure a podium finish before returning to the United States to pursue a master’s degree at the University of West Alabama while remaining eligible to compete and available for national team duty.SHAIRA HOPE RIVERA
Sports

Rivera keeps PH tennis dream alive

Published on: 

After helping the Philippines secure a women’s tennis team bronze medal at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand in December 2025, former Davao City standout Shaira Hope Rivera has returned to the United States to continue both her studies and her playing career.

Rivera, 26, is back at the University of West Alabama, where she is pursuing a master’s degree and still holds one year of playing eligibility. She recently graduated with a degree in sports management and previously competed on a full varsity scholarship.

"Balik school po ako sa West Alabama kasi meron pa akong one year na eligibility po, so pwede pa akong maglaro (I am returning to school at West Alabama because I still have one year of eligibility left, so I am still allowed to play," she said in a Messenger interview with SunStar Davao Saturday, January 10. 

The Monkayo, Davao de Oro native, who represented Davao City while studying at Sta. Ana National High School said her return to campus does not mean stepping away from competition. Rivera plans to stay active during the offseason, using the summer break to test herself in tournaments.

"Sa summer po, mag-tournament muna po ako (During the summer, I will first compete in tournaments)," Rivera said. "Kasi sabi nung national team, bibigyan nila akong budget for tournament (Because the national team will provide me with a budget for the tournaments)."

Rivera said she remains committed to Philippine tennis and is ready to represent the national team whenever called.

She began playing tennis at the age of 10 at Monkayo Central Elementary School, where her talent quickly became evident. She captured the Palarong Pambansa doubles title in 2012, an early milestone in her career. After Typhoon Pablo devastated her hometown, Rivera relocated to Davao City and trained under Sta. Ana National High School coach Marivic Loquinario is collecting more regional golds and national medals during her two-year stint.

She later sharpened her game at the Philippine Tennis Academy and De La Salle Santiago Zobel before joining the Ateneo de Manila University varsity team. Although she paused her studies during the pandemic, Rivera stayed active with the national team, finishing runner-up in the Fed Cup in New Zealand and amassing six PCA Open doubles titles, a Philippine National Games singles gold medal, and the 2019 Malaysia Open doubles crown.

Rivera made her SEA Games debut in the Philippines in 2019, then competed in Vietnam and Cambodia, where she teamed up with Alexandra Eala to win a bronze medal in the team event. MLSA

SunStar Publishing Inc.
www.sunstar.com.ph