It was heartwarming to be jolted by news of Alex Eala’s historic Wimbledon breakthrough, with that iconic forehand capturing the grit and determination she carried onto the grass.
This is a victory for our country and our people, and it comes at a time when we haven’t had anything to cheer about, not in a long time.
Instead, we have had one heartbreak after another – from the Ateneo drowning tragedy that took away two young lives and traumatized so many others, to the alarming rise in shootings and violence involving our children and before that, the pandemonium that recently descended on the Senate.
And so we take it, and we take it with cheers as loud as Alex’s beating heart that Saturday in London as she pulled off the biggest win of her career, beating world No. 3 and defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round of Wimbledon.
She is the first Filipino player to reach the Round of 16 at any Grand Slam.
Alex is not done yet and she still has an even more challenging journey ahead of her, with more sweat and tears along the way.
Supporting our athletes
Her journey shows the importance of supporting our athletes.
We have heard horror stories from young athletes like Alex who had to train in pitiful conditions and who chose to pursue their passion even without government support.
Ernest Cu, former president and CEO of Globe, likened Alex to a start-up that received funding from the Ayala-led giant.
“So glad we decided to back this start-up 12 years ago at age nine. Like GCash, malapit na mag IPO! #proudtito,” Cu said in a post on his social media account.
It’s good to hear that corporate giants like Globe are betting on athletes. Globe, where Alex’s mother worked as CFO, has sponsored Alex’s costly international trainings and tournaments.
This financial backing certainly opened doors for Alex to access premium training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain.
While critics have called her a nepo baby for having the right connections and opportunities, Alex has certainly proven herself worthy of the support with her discipline, grit and determination to succeed. She has shown us nothing less.
We hope to see more support from both the government and the private sector to all our aspiring athletes. The government can’t do it alone so our corporates must also step in.
It’s not just about backing winners but it is also about giving the youth the chance to discover sports which can be life-changing.
Sports, after all, offer young people the opportunity to build essential traits, develop social connections and learn camaraderie and team spirit.
It teaches lifelong skills like discipline and resilience and, along the way, one learns to develop grit and character.
And then there are the benefits on physical health. Athletes have better cognitive function, long-term endurance and even better mental health.
In this age where children are preyed upon by extremists, sports can be the route that helps save our youth from the dangers of the online netherworld.
Detoxifier
For many of us, Alex’s victory is also a welcome reprieve from a nation besieged by toxic politics.
As Sen. Ping Lacson said, Alex is the detoxifier that our country’s highly toxic atmosphere needs and an influential unifier of a deeply divided nation.
We can all agree on this. Our country has spiraled downward into the depths of despair.
The toxicity is suffocating and tiring. But mostly, profoundly sad.
Our country is like a rudderless ship caught in the middle of two warring political clans, the Marcoses and the Dutertes, which have been trading accusations after accusations of corruption and wrongdoing against each other since the break-up of UniTeam.
The result is an ugly war that has deeply divided our country today. Even our social media timelines have become daily battlegrounds.
I write this on the first day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, which also puts the spotlight on the Senate.
We will find out whether the Senate, under Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, can actually deliver a fair trial, rather than act as a rubber stamp of the Marcos administration.
Everyone will watch with bated breath.
Senator Gatchalian said they are preparing for all scenarios, and some scenarios have already unfolded as I conclude this piece.
Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, who is facing plunder charges before the Sandiganbayan, was arrested – or did he surrender? – shortly after the Sandiganbayan issued an arrest warrant in connection with a P75-million plunder case.
Marcoleta, a senator-judge in VP Sara’s trial and the VP’s staunch ally and rumored running mate for the 2028 elections, is facing a plunder case over the P75 million he allegedly received during the 2025 election period.
He, however, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
By the time this column sees print, the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte, is expected to have started.
What happens next remains to be seen. Will there be more arrests? Will there be another surprise rally by the Iglesia ni Cristo and Duterte’s supporters?
For sure, we will see more of the toxic politics prevailing in our country today. One can only hope that there will be more good news.
As I said, Alex Eala isn’t done yet. Her inspiring journey as she strives for the Wimbledon crown is in itself the moral booster our country needs.
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Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on X @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.