It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you have or don’t have, what you lack, or what you have too much of. But all you need to have is faith in God, an undying passion for what you do and what you choose to do in this life, and a relentless drive and the will to do whatever it takes to be successful in whatever you put your mind to.
— American basketball superstar Stephen Curry
Our Filipina tennis champion Alexandra “Alex” Eala may not be among the top 10 netters in the world, but she certainly tops them all in viewership as she continuously breaks the rules on who gets or shares the spotlight in the global tennis scene.
And unknowingly, Alex is likewise rewriting the rules.
Our country’s pride just recently trashed Australia’s Maya Joint in a grueling three-set affair, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, in the 2026 Wimbledon Open at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in England on Thursday night (Manila time).
Previously, she outclassed a gritty Renata Zarazua of Mexico, 6-1, 6-2, in a sterling display of skill and prowess in the Round of 128 opening match of the tournament. But the highlight of this victory was the support given to the winner.
Eala was amazed over the “home crowd” that watched her play.
“Hindi ko inakala na ganoon ka-puno ang (Court 12) kasi alam ko talaga ang hirap makakuha ng ticket dito sa Wimbledon so I’m very thankful sa mga kapwa nating Pilipino,” she enthused after her win over her Mexican opponent.
Actually, since her name came under the spotlight in the international scene, Alex Eala can surely count on armies of Filipinos rallying behind her as she sets out to make tennis history. She has already experienced the same rockstar treatment from her kababayans in almost every city in the world as one of today’s tennis crowd darlings—even at an event as prestigious as Wimbledon.
The situation is simple: when Alex competes, many of her matches are held at the larger venues because the crowd size she attracts cannot be discounted. Even non-Filipinos flock to watch her perform.
And her fame and obvious attraction for support do not remain limited to the crowds. It is also reflected in her popularity across social media and the internet, where the numbers simply don’t lie.
In the videos of Alex battling Kazakhstan’s world No. 2 Elena Rybakina and Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, viewership reached around 900,000 views each over the official WTA YouTube channel. The next highest, at nearly 440,000 views, was the match between current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and American ace Jessica Pegula.
More than these, over the official Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Facebook channel, posts about Alex also garnered the highest number of engagements, with the post of her teaming up with tennis legend Serena Williams to win their first doubles match generating over 50,000 engagements—the highest in more than a month.
Anyone who dismisses these facts as not earthshaking is living in the pre-stone age era. Apparently, the conventional view that the “winningest” athlete in any sport gets the spotlight and the highest social media metrics is no longer true.
But this is not the first time a sports figure has stolen the spotlight from the traditional stars. In boxing, it was Oscar De La Hoya who broke the rules on who gets the spotlight. And even in defeat, our very own People’s Champ always outshone even the actual winner of his bouts inside the squared circle.
In ending, let me just lay it out—simple and quick: with or without the fame and popularity, what matters here is the fact that 21-year-old Alex has beaten a number of top-10 players and Grand Slam champions—no small feat from any angle of perception.
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Thank you for your support, and mabuhay!
