“I’m still very, very far from the levels of Pacquiao.” That is how Alex Eala answered the loudest comparison of her young career, as Filipinos increasingly cast her as the nation’s next sporting icon in the mold of boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. Ahead of her Cincinnati Open debut, the 21 year old addressed the talk with characteristic humility and a reality check.
The compliment she never expected
Eala, who just became the first Filipina to break into the WTA Top 20 with her Mubadala DC Open title, said she never imagined she would one day be mentioned in the same breath as the eight division world champion. Speaking to reporters ahead of the Cincinnati Open, she acknowledged both the weight and the joy of the comparison.
“I think the feeling that Pacquiao gave the Filipinos was great, to have someone to rally over. And when he would have fights, everyone was so excited and it was just a chance for people to come together,” Eala said, according to the Inquirer. “I guess my journey can give similar things like that.”
Two unique journeys
Sitting at world No. 20 and drawing crowds around the world, Eala is careful not to let the hype write a story she does not agree with. She described hers and Pacquiao’s paths as “two unique journeys, two very different journeys.”
“It’s very flattering to be compared to him, but at the same time, I think they are also two unique journeys. I don’t think one takes away from the other,” she said. “I think I’m still very, very far from the levels of Pacquiao.”
A cultural ambassador on tour
Eala’s rise has made her a global face for Filipino sport, with fellow players Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula among those praising her ability to bring a new demographic to tennis. Asked what she considers the essence of Filipino culture, she named “community, family, hospitality, love, kindness,” while stressing that no culture can be summed up in a few words.
She also admitted the spotlight can sometimes feel heavy, but that the experience has helped her grow. “There are moments where it’s heavy, there are moments where it’s fun. But at the end of the day, I’m also aware that it’s a crazy experience. I’m just trying to take it all in,” she said.
Back to business at Cincinnati
Eala is the No. 17 seed at the Cincinnati Open, where she received a first-round bye and will open against Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round. The tournament is part of her preparation for the US Open later this month. She enters having won her first WTA 500 title in Washington, building on her historic Wimbledon run.
Measured against the greatest Filipino sporting career ever, she stays grounded: “The more matches the merrier,” she said, judging success not by how far she advances but by whether she executed her game plan under pressure.
