Eala’s rise creates new tennis heroes

Alex Eala’s breakthrough run at the Wimbledon Championships has become more than a personal milestone as it has given the Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) confidence that the country’s next generation of players is already on the way.

PHILTA secretary general John Rey Tiangco said Eala’s success on the Grand Slam stage has introduced tennis to a wider audience and inspired more young Filipinos to take up the sport, strengthening the federation’s grassroots development efforts.

The Philippine Sports Commission and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority even hosted a free public watch party at the Philsports Arena last Monday, gathering local fans to cheer for the 20-year-old Eala in her Round of 16 clash against Jasmine Paolini in the women’s singles event of the Wimbledon Championships.

“We are very proud of Alex’s achievements. It was very difficult just to get into Wimbledon, but she didn’t just make the main draw. She reached the fourth round,” said Tiangco, who joined Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio in the watch party that drew around 8,000 spectators.

“More importantly, she has inspired Filipinos. Even those who don’t play tennis are inspired by what she has done. That is because of her character. She is very proud to be Filipino.”

Tiangco believes Eala’s rise will encourage more youngsters to pick up a racket but stressed that the federation’s long-term priority remains building strong fundamentals among aspiring players regardless of the playing surface.

“What’s important is developing the fundamentals and encouraging young people to get into sports. We need to open opportunities for them to discover what they enjoy,” Tiangco added.

“Once they find something they are passionate about, we should help them excel.”

Eala’s success has already created a massive momentum for Philippine tennis.

Earlier this year, the country staged its first-ever Women’s Tennis Association event, the Philippine Women’s Open, with Eala headlining a field that featured several international stars like champion Camila Osorio of Colombia and Donna Vekic of Croatia.

PHILTA executive director Antoinette Mendoza said the federation is now focused on creating more opportunities for women so they can pursue professional careers in tennis.

“Actually, what we’re doing right now, first of all, is just increasing the local competition because there have been no women’s tournaments maybe for the past 15 years,” Mendoza said.

“What we are doing is just making it worthwhile for these girls to play tennis professionally because what happens is that when they play tennis and after they finish college, they just work or become a coach.”