THE ALEX EALA EFFECT
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
After her second-round victory over Australia's Maya Joint, Alex Eala let out a roar.
I don't watch a lot of tennis, but lately, I've found myself catching a few of her matches.
It's probably because, for the first time, I have a reason to follow the sport.
When I was a kid, I watched an occasional match or two featuring Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf, or Andre Agassi, but only when there wasn't anything better on TV, and whenever they were competing in the Olympics.
Later on, I caught glimpses of Anna Kournikova and Maria Sharapova. Honestly, that was mostly because they looked good. I know Sharapova was an elite player, but Kournikova never won a major singles title. I just thought she was pretty because one of my all-time favorite music videos is Enrique Iglesias' "Escape." Back when MTV actually played music videos, that video was constantly on rotation.
That said, I was never really into tennis. To be honest, I still don't enjoy watching it that much because of the scoring system. Some of the best matches go on for an incredibly long time. Then again, I think the biggest reason is that I never really had a player to root for.
Back in the '90s, the only Filipino tennis player I really knew was Felix Barrientos. He was a beast in Southeast Asia, and I remember him dominating the region both as a singles player and as part of a successful doubles partnership with Roland So.
As great as they were, though, they never reached the heights Alex Eala is beginning to achieve.
Honestly, it's fun watching Eala play, especially with how respectfully loud Filipino fans cheer whenever she wins a point.
She grunts with every powerful shot, takes practice swings between points, and flashes a smirk whenever she closes out a set.
I've even started collecting her cards. I bought her rookie base card and a Sapphire parallel on COMC, along with her 2025 Topps Chrome card on eBay. Sure, I hate that her cards are already expensive, but at the same time, I love what that says about her. It means she's a legitimate star in her sport.
Just like Manny Pacquiao, Efren "Bata" Reyes, Paeng Nepomuceno, Carlos Yulo, Hidilyn Diaz, and EJ Obiena, I think Alex Eala is well on her way to becoming one of the country's sporting icons.
In some ways, I also hope Leylah Fernandez continues to raise her profile.
That said, I haven't really watched Fernandez play yet.
Eala, on the other hand, seems to be on a crash course toward greatness. If she keeps building on what she's doing now, there's no telling how far she can go.
At this point, almost everything she accomplishes is history-making. Her second-round victory at Wimbledon made her the first Filipino to reach that stage of the tournament.
Also, not since Manny Pacquiao have I seen a Filipino athlete with that many sponsors displayed on a competition uniform. You know you've made it when your top practically looks like a fun run singlet, with brands like BPI and Globe proudly tattooed on her shirts.
She has already won a number of tournaments, but she has yet to capture a major title. That's okay, because her tennis journey is just starting.
Of course, I would love to see her win Wimbledon, but every challenge she overcomes only strengthens her reputation. Right now, the goal is to keep collecting stars. Not Starbucks planner-type stars, but stars in the form of victories over the sport's biggest names. Think Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, or whoever is the women's equivalent of Carlos Alcaraz.
To go back to what I said at the beginning, I'm genuinely looking forward to her matches, or at least the condensed highlights on YouTube. She has worked incredibly hard to reach this level, and while I hate seeing that wrap on her calf because it feels like a recurring injury, she's doing something no Filipino tennis player has ever done before.
Alex F'N Eala is putting the Philippines on the tennis map.
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