By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
Lawn Tennis is another sport that Cordillera sports enthusiasts can delve in. With a real possibility to attain greatness even in the global arena.
Thanks to a current darling of the tennis world, 20-year old Alexandra Eala, dubbed as the Real Deal by some foreign experts.
Before her though, there was a great Filipino tennister, fondly called Mighty Mite, for his small stature of just five feet-three-inches and his great tennis playing skill. He is Felicisimo Ampon. He is short by the sport’s standard but he made a habit of winning against some of the best in the world then, winning more than 20 international titles in different countries. He even reached the quarterfinals in the French open twice.
He was the smallest tennis player to ever play in Wimbledon, England, the acknowledged zenith of world tennis championships.
Ampon is considered so far as the greatest Filipino tennis player. He was still playing tennis in the early 70’s when I started as a budding campus journalist writing about news and sports stories for a High School paper in Quezon city. He died in 1997.
The Mighty Mite shows that height is not that much of a necessity to excel in lawn tennis.
But don’t say that in the case of Alex Eala. She is all of five-feet-nine inches tall. Much taller than Ampon. She can see eye-to-eye level with many current and good international lady tennisters.
Eala is a trailblazing Pinay tennis player who had taken the tennis world by storm. She maybe still a nobody three years ago, although she was already in the mix of outstanding young players in the world.
By January 2025 she was already ranked 138 in the World Tennis Association. And this January, 2026 she just ensconced herself in the elite top 50. It is a meteoric rise. She is, by any yardstick, a phenomenal player attaining such rank in just one year, where most players take several years to even just come close to that rarefied group.
It is not only a record in Philippine tennis, but also a source of awe in the entire world of tennis. She is one for the books.
Her local impact on the sport is so great, that her exploits, her journey, her every uttered word in media is now eagerly awaited by her legions and legions of fans. Even non-players and those who had no or little knowledge of the sport are now awakened to the joy and pleasure of what tennis is all about. My own senior citizen sister, who certainly did not care and appreciate tennis before, is now a certified avid follower of Eala.
Concerned officials are probably pleasantly surprised that booking to play in local tennis courts is currently very difficult; more and more Filipinos are inspired by Alexandra to take up the game.
“She is the real deal”, echoed an awe-struck Grand slam tennis authority.
This appears to be validated by many top-ranked male and female players. Aryna Sabalenka – presently the number one female tennis player, enthusiastically remarked, “Eala is unbelievable. I’ve been watching her since her Rafael Nadal Academy days. She doesn’t play scared. She is fearless. She has an absolute belief that she can be in the same court with the best”
From Andy Roddick, an American and former number one tennis player in the world said: “She has good footwork and timing. Has the composure of a great player. She is willing to walk forward mentally and emotionally. She has no loss of focus. She recovers quickly. This is rare to a young player.”
Mats Wilander, another respected former number one player predicted, “Alex Eala is going to be a top ten player. She is awesome; she is extraordinary; she has the fire, the talent, the focus. In 3 years, she will be a Grand slam contender. She also has the charisma and the ability to motivate.
At the moment, she is the most talked-about tennister in the world. It is something to be proud about.
The on-going Australian Open (one of the 4 Grand Slam events-(the others being Wimbledon, French Open, U.S. Open) provides a real glimpse of the impact of Eala on world tennis. In pre-tournament interviews for AO, officials divulged that Eala had more views than any of the biggest names in the competition, male or female. Crowds of fans in the venue lined up patiently to buy tickets her match. Thousands were unable to get inside due to only a few thousand seats in the stadium where she was relegated to play.
This led Martina Navratilova, one of the greatest to ever play the game, quipped: “It is an awesome phenomenon. Officials should see the power of attraction of players next time; where they come from; and what they can bring to the game.”
She lost in the first round of AO. But another phenomen unfolded. She was mobbed, especially for autographs, instead of the winner. Reason for security guards to cordone her so she could pass through.
The phenom that is Eala is the reason why the Philippines is staging the first ever WTA 125 tourney to be held this January at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila. Participants are those ranked within the top 100 except for Filipino netters who will be given the chance to quality-wildcards, so to speak.
Fans, experts, and peers see her not only as one of the futures of the ASEAN tennis but also the world. Cordilleran tennis players should take the challenge and the inspiration of Alex. In her words, “Yong lalaban hanggang dulo”.**
