Filipinos woke up on Monday, National Heroes Day, to the awesome news that our modern-day hero and tennis star Alexandra “Alex” Eala clinched a remarkable first-round victory at the 2025 US Open in New York.

It was more than just a victory. It was history being made: the 20-year-old Eala became the first-ever Filipino to win a main-draw Grand Slam singles match in the Open Era, which began in 1968.

And the way she triumphed was spectacular. Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, Eala clawed her way back from a 1-5 hole to stun world No. 14 Clara Tauson of Denmark with an edge-of-your-seat 13-11 tiebreak to secure the win.

In that electrifying moment, Eala collapsed to the ground and covered her face, her emotions uncontainable—in stark contrast to the nerves of steel she had shown when she was all but counted out while trailing 1-5 in the final set.

Her emotional win in the nerve-wracking three-set battle, where she earlier scored 6-3, 2-6, is the latest chapter in a narrative defined by grit and resilience. Lesser mortals would have given up after being buried in that 1-5 hole, but not Eala, whose never-say-die attitude is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Very inspiring indeed were her words during the post-match interview: “Oh my God. It was so, so difficult. She’s a huge player, she’s a great player, and definitely not an easy draw for a first round. But I’m so happy that I was able to dig deep. I was just thinking to push the limit—physically, mentally, this was it.”

And she certainly made Filipinos equally proud with what she also said: “To be Filipino is something I take so much pride in… I’m so blessed to be the first to do this. I take so much pride in representing my country; it makes what I do bigger than myself.”

Making historic firsts seems to have become a habit for Eala. In 2022, she achieved a milestone for Philippine tennis when she became the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles title at the US Open.

And it was at the Miami Open last March that Eala also made history by toppling Grand Slam champions. She defeated 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the second round, before ousting reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys, then ranked world No. 5, in the third round.

But it was her victory over the world’s No. 2, Iga Swiatek of Poland, where Eala truly shined at the Miami Open. She recalled being star-struck by Swiatek, who had been the guest speaker at her graduation ceremony in 2023 at the Rafa Nadal Academy where she trained.

While playing against her idol, the confident Eala showed no signs of being intimidated. Defeating Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, was certainly one of the biggest and most memorable victories of her career.

Eala’s tenacity to give her all and emerge victorious, despite the terrific odds, is apparently inspired by Rafael Nadal himself, her other idol. I remember writing a column in 2022 about the Spanish legend who roared back to life that year at the Australian Open finals after being down two sets in a grueling duel lasting more than five hours against Russian Daniil Medvedev.

Nadal became the first man to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles. His last title win was a resounding victory of the human spirit. Lesser mortals would have given up after dropping the first two sets. But not Nadal, who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as he survived the epic match 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

“I just wanted to keep believing until the end, to give me a chance, and that’s what I did… I kept fighting, to try and find a solution,” Nadal said. It’s obvious that he inspired the never-say-die attitude of Eala.

Having chaired the Senate committee on youth and sports when I was senator, I know how the attitude of Eala and Nadal can be so inspiring to the Filipino youth. May Eala’s victories continue to inspire, and let us all hope her journey unfolds into even greater triumphs—not only for herself, but for her nation, and for every Filipino who dares to dream and keeps going despite the odds. ([email protected])