I don’t know much about tennis. I don’t play it. I don’t watch it. I don’t follow it. But then came Alex Eala. And suddenly, tennis came into my purview.
I started to watch the matches. I started to look up the terms: grand slam, seed, wildcard, qualifier, unforced error, medical time-out. And then I started to look up the players because I wanted to know who Alex would be up against.
I started to read more and more about tennis because I wanted to understand the sport that Alex had so much passion for. A whole new world opened up for me. Like a slow burn, tennis grew on me.
And all because of Alex.
I became a fan of tennis. Completely unexpected. But there I was, now familiar with the names of the tennis greats, the ones at the peak, the ones about to peak and the ones who probably have already peaked.
But truth be told, I’m a greater fan of Alex Eala than of tennis.
Even with my limited knowledge of the game, I can see for myself the power of Alex’s shots and sprints. She moves with mind-blowing power, intensity and drive. Her returns are absolutely crushing.
The ferocity with which she plays is only matched by the magnanimity she displays, win or lose. On and off the court, she displays amazing grace, humility and maturity far beyond her 21 years.
And that’s how Alex Eala endeared herself to me.
She shows grit and ambition yet, she also shows gratitude and empathy. While others might complain about the burden of carrying a nation’s expectations, Alex looks upon pressure as a privilege.
Despite the hard and punishing work she’s had to put in to get to where she is today, she shows no sign of entitlement. She brings up the greater hardships Filipinos face daily to feed their families and the greater sacrifices her parents make every day to support her journey.
While she plays to win, she plays not just to win. She plays to be better at the game, to represent the country in the best light and to lift the spirits of the Filipino people, many of whom live a hard life.
The glory of winning, the prize money, the ranking — all these seem secondary to her desire to serve the country by bringing honor to the homeland and bringing hope and inspiration to the next generation.
She proudly wears the Philippine flag and constantly showcases the Filipino to the world whether it’s by putting the sampaguita on her Nike signature T-shirt or introducing the word “kapwa” to the global press.
She is the best ambassador we’ve ever had.
While she knows how far she has grown in her craft, she never boasts. She takes pride in what she has achieved but never forgets to shine a light on her opponents — recognizing their playing prowess and honoring their heart and spirit.
But what I love most about Alex is that despite how far she has gone, she never forgets to be grateful — for the opportunity to play on the world stage, the chance to represent her country and the privilege to live the life she lives now.
Even in the face of heartbreaking loss, she still remembers to be grateful.
And that is what makes me a greater fan of Alex Eala than of tennis.
Alex’s current singles ranking is World No.18, according to the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). She is the first Filipino player to break into the world’s Top 20 and is now the highest-ranked Southeast Asian female tennis player in WTA history. She has yet to win her first professional Grand Slam title.
Alex Eala is, without doubt, a great tennis player. And she will only get better. But she is a better human being than a tennis player and that’s what really sealed the deal for me.
Eala-mania is real.