Misrepresentation

Alex Eala continues to rewrite tennis herstory while many of her countrymen and women are busy revising both history and today. Now she is the first Filipino to be seeded in a grand slam in the Open Era, or better yet the grand slam of all slams – the Wimbledon.

In her main draw debut in the world’s oldest slam last year, the Filipina ace took the first set out of the defending champion. She lost but warned a comeback. Went back she did, neither as a qualifier nor a wild card, but a seeded player.

Finally, flag-waving Filipinos on court and those at home, many of whom are in cultic worship, finally found the right person and the right reasons to rabidly cheer for. Alexandra the Great delivered an emphatic score line against a Mexican foe who beat her before. Alex has vastly improved, buoyed by a wild Filipino throng.

Again, what’s not to like about Eala. She is tall for a Filipina. Nothing wrong with being small physically though, but everything is wrong about being small mentally. Definitely beautiful, but thankfully Eala is not lured to pageantry. An empowered woman does not need a crown, she just refuses to be a clown. Genuinely kind, she treats ball kids with respect, sharing her bottled water and umbrella with them. Person-blind and status-neutral, as opposed to a flock that calls out selective justice against the person they selected.

Tactful, she chooses the right words in the proper context, as opposed to many of her countrymen and women who spit on social media words most foul and language most pedestrian. Unfortunately, it includes lawyers found guilty of using intemperate language, even a doctor for seeing red in people she disagrees with. Very much unlike the Filipina ace who is gracious in defeat and humble in victory. The ideal representation of a people lost in their misplaced conviction.

Too bad Serena Williams lost in the first round. The greatest tennis player in the world was on collision course with the greatest Filipina tennis player. Had they played in the second round, it would be curious how Alex would neutralize the lightning serves of the woman who built her tennis empire on brute power. A missed what if, compensate with what is, and what will be. Eala next plays Maya Joint who denied her the Eastbourne title last year despite four match points. Expect the Filipina to get even, without retaliating. Why, remember she is different from the people she represents.