Manny Pacquiao is an all-time boxing great, but more importantly, helped elevate the global presence of Filipino sports. The country doesn't get enough respect for its athletes, of course, and sometimes it takes an icon to lift everyone. Alex Eala could, in essence, become the next Pacquiao for her country.
She has a long way to go, of course. The boxer was ranked atop his division and won many titles. So far, Eala has just one WTA trophy, and that came at a 500 event. Her next step is winning a WTA 1000 or a major.
The Eala and Pacquiao connection is real, though, and the rising tennis star was asked about that ahead of her first match at the Cincinnati Open. According to Charlie Clifford of Cincinnati's WLWT, the Filipina praised the older Filipino, but she didn't step back from an overwhelming sense of confidence either.
Alex Eala understands the comparison between her and boxing great Manny Pacquiao
Eala said, "He is such a legend and has done so much for us Filipino athletes to pave the way. The feeling he gave us was great...and my journey can give similar things. It is very flattering."
There you have it, right? The tennis star is flattered to be compared to the boxing great in terms of popularity in the Philippines, but she also has enough belief in herself that her "journey" can reach Pacquiao-level proportions. But let's pause there.
The problem is that tennis is a kinder game than boxing. Pugilists often speak harshly to each other before a match. That is part of the fun, and they know it. There is a machismo to the sport that isn't present in other sports, especially tennis.
But Alexandra Eala wasn't even speaking to an opponent directly. What some players might take from her words is that the WTA No. 20 is bent on winning many tournaments and defeating the players who would stand in her way.
If she succeeds, great, but she has a lot to prove before professionally reaching the levels of her boxing elder. So far, the Filipina is nowhere near the top of her sport. She needs to fix her serve and then become more consistent in making deep runs at tournaments. That could happen, but younger players might overtake her in her trajectory, too.
The positive side is that Alex Eala might not need to reach the high-end success of Manny Pacquiao. She is a female athlete as well as a Filipino. She is showing younger girls that they can also find a path to succeed in sports when they might not have thought that otherwise. Ultimately, that is more meaningful than how many boxing titles Pacquiao won or how many tennis trophies Eala lifts.
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