MANILA (July 7) — As Alex Eala continues her historic run at The Championships, Wimbledon, the Filipina tennis star is making one thing clear: every milestone she reaches is built on the path paved by the country’s sporting greats.
Fresh from her stunning victory over defending champion Iga Świątek, Eala paid tribute to Filipino icons led by boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, whose rise to global superstardom inspired generations of athletes to dream beyond the Philippines.
“Of course, the kind of national hero in sports in the Philippines is Manny Pacquiao. He is the kind of first global athletic figure from the Philippines,” Eala said before facing Jasmine Paolini in the Round of 16.
At just 21, Eala has already become the first Filipina to earn a Wimbledon seed, win matches at the tournament and reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam. A victory over Paolini would send her to another unprecedented milestone—a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Despite blazing her own trail, Eala said she never forgets the champions who came before her.
She also honored bowling legend Paeng Nepomuceno, billiards great Efren Reyes, Olympic champions Hidilyn Diaz and Carlos Yulo, and world pole vault star Ernest John Obiena.
“There are so many people. I feel like Filipinos have such a great work ethic. We are really hard workers. When it counts, we can show up,” she said.
Eala’s success has sparked nationwide excitement, with the Philippine Sports Commission organizing a public watch party at the PhilSports Arena for thousands of fans as the nation rallies behind its newest sports sensation.
But beyond the records and rankings, Eala hopes her greatest legacy will be inspiring young Filipinos to pursue their own dreams.
“I don’t want them to look at me and say, ‘I want to be the next Alex Eala,'” she said. “I want them to look at me and say, ‘I want to be the first me. I want to make my own path.'”
That message may already be taking root. Across the country, young Filipinos are picking up tennis rackets and believing that, like Eala, they too can one day make history on the world’s biggest stage.
