Actress and tennis player Maika Rivera answers questions during her guesting on "Oh My Gan!" with entertainment host Ganiel Krishnan at the ABS-CBN Digital Studios in Quezon City on June 30, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — Before finding her place in show business, actress Maika Rivera spent years pursuing a very different dream: becoming a competitive tennis player.
In an interview on “Oh My Gan!” Rivera recalled the intense training and pressure she experienced as a young athlete, eventually leading her to walk away from the sport.
Rivera said she started playing tennis at an early age after becoming fascinated by the sport while watching it on television with her parents.
“Apparently, when I was two years old… my parents were watching tennis on TV. And then apparently… I said I wanted to be like them,” she shared.
Living near a clubhouse with a tennis court also helped nurture her early interest in the sport.
“Ever since two years old na, meron kasi buti na lang tapat namin clubhouse ng tennis. May tennis court. So, yun, tinatapunan na ako ng tatay ko ng bola. And then, siguro nakitaan niya ako ng potential,” Rivera recalled.
Her interest eventually developed into competitive tennis, with Rivera saying she even earned a world ranking at the junior level.
But behind the achievements was an exhausting training schedule.
Rivera revealed she would spend around six hours a day training, with tennis sessions, fitness workouts, private lessons and junior squad practices filling much of her day.
“In total of one week, 26 hours kami nagti-tennis. Bootcamp talaga,” she said.
Asked if she experienced burnout, Rivera answered: “Burnout. The pressure was intense. Ibang klase yung pressure.”
Rivera said there came a point when she struggled to understand why she was continuing with the sport.
“Dumating na lang siya talaga sa time na hindi na ako nananalo… nagigising na ako, depressed na ako,” she recalled.
She clarified that the difficult feeling was not simply because she was losing matches.
“Hindi dahil sa pagkatalo. Dahil parang hindi ko na alam… hindi ko na maintindihan kung bakit nangyayari yung ganito,” Rivera said.
The demands of professional-level training also became increasingly difficult.
“Everyday, you have to be 100%. And every single day, you have to really give everything you have,” she said.
Rivera eventually shifted toward entertainment after opportunities began opening up for her.
She recalled initially being approached with the possibility of becoming a sports host because of her tennis background. Her mother, who had experience styling personalities in the entertainment industry, later sought advice about Rivera’s possible career move.
Rivera eventually auditioned for ABS-CBN and even tried out for “Pinoy Big Brother.” While she did not make it into the reality show, Rivera said the audition eventually helped lead her to Star Magic.
Her acting credits would later include “Magpahanggang Wakas,” where she worked with Jericho Rosales, and “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,” where she portrayed Attorney Vera.
Now part of “The Loyalty Game,” Rivera said acting has become more than a career it has also given her another way to express herself.
“Acting has become like a therapeutic thing for me,” she said. “With all the emotions that I used to release nung nagte-tennis ako, hindi ko na siya nalalabas ngayon.”
Rivera said acting has since become her new outlet.
“Buti na lang dito sa acting, nalalabas ko siya,” she said.
Despite already building a name in the industry, Rivera believes she is still far from reaching all her goals.
“I’m still planting seeds or at the very least, tumutubo pa lang eh. So, medyo malayo pa ako sa bunga,” she said.
For Rivera, the journey is still unfolding.
“Hindi ko pa masasabi yung ‘worth it ang lahat,’” she added.