Heroism: Then and now

It is quite appropriate that on National Heroes Day — a day dedicated to the celebration of all Filipino heroes and not just those memorialized in statues and history books — a Filipina tennis player pulled off a miraculous comeback to claim victory against one of the best players in the world.

- OF TREES AND FOREST

Here is how the Manila Bulletin article described it: “Almost given up for the dead after trailing 1-5 in the third set, the 20-year-old Eala displayed nerves of steel against her world No. 15 counterpart by forging a tiebreak before claiming the victory.” Eala’s “heroic win” made her the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam match in the Open era.

Modern-day hero

The “nerves of steel” she displayed is the stuff heroes are made of. Her victory gave the Filipino nation the kind of “good news” our people deserve. This is the type of heroism that gives our nation inspiration at a time when we need it most. At only 19 years old, Alex has already made groundbreaking achievements in professional tennis, becoming the highest-ranked Filipino player in WTA Tour history, reaching No. 56 in the world. Beyond rankings and titles, her journey embodies the qualities of dedication, courage, hard work and perseverance that define a hero, especially for young Filipinos aspiring for greatness.