What Alex Eala, Manny Pacquiao, and Alyssa Valdez can teach us about community

When Alex Eala won her first WTA Tour title this week, history recorded it as a tennis victory. For millions of Filipinos, it felt like something much bigger. Suddenly, people who had never watched tennis were debating her second serve, following the rankings, and talking about Grand Slams. Parents began asking about tennis clinics. Social media filled with debates about her chances at the US Open and whether this was the beginning of a golden age for Philippine tennis. It wasn’t really tennis that had captured the country’s imagination. FAN FAVORITE. Alex Eala celebrates with her fellow Filipinos after winning the 2025 WTA 125 Guadalajara Open in Mexico. GDL Open Instagram page It was Alex. Her historic victory—the first WTA Tour singles title ever won by a Filipino—didn’t simply produce