This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.
‘You remind us why we are a great race,’ President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. tells Alex Eala as he confers the Presidential Citation on the Filipina tennis star
MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. turned into a fan as he hosted Alex Eala in Malacañang on Monday, July 13, saying the tennis star embodies the greatness of the Filipino people.
Marcos conferred the Presidential Citation on Eala in recognition of her “historic achievements as the first Filipino woman to attain unprecedented success on the international, professional tennis circuit.”
“Whenever we have these programs here, I always begin by saying, ‘It is my pleasure to receive you.’ Sometimes it’s the polite thing to do. When I say that tonight, that’s not polite — I’m really, really so happy to have you here. You cannot imagine,” Marcos said.
“This is one of those occasions where I say to myself, ’It’s good to be president.’ I’m meeting our champion. That’s not just me, it’s everybody else.”
Eala is back home for a short break after her historic run in the Wimbledon Championships in the United Kingdom, where she dethroned former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland to advance to the fourth round.
It marked the first time a Filipino reached the second week of a major as Eala enjoyed her finest Grand Slam campaign, eclipsing her second-round appearance in the US Open in 2025.
Before Wimbledon, Eala beat two other top-10 players, stunning current world No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan and No. 10 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the Berlin Tennis Open in Germany.
“You have brought such pride to the Philippines, to the Filipinos, not only because of your success, but also because of the grace with which you handle that success. Because the way you play and the way you comport yourself makes us proud. Because you show the greatest, best qualities of Filipinos. You remind us why we are a great race,” said Marcos.
He also lauded Eala for her grounded approach, saying he was particularly impressed when the 21-year-old remarked that she was far from satisfied despite her victory over Swiatek.
“That is a sign of a true fighter, a true champion. The way that you can keep your concentration, the way that you can keep your commitment. That is one of the qualities that you have that is why you have been so successful,” said Marcos.
Moreover, Marcos is delighted that Eala continues to honor her roots, regardless of how far she has come as she climbed to a new career-high world ranking of No. 28.
“That’s very touching for all of us that you don’t forget the rest of us. You don’t think that you somehow left it all behind – quite the contrary. You always seem to give the impression that it is because you are a Filipina that you are doing so well,” Marcos said.
And Marcos looks forward to to catch Eala in action on the court someday.
“I’m a fan so I’m gushing. I’m a real fan of yours. One day I hope I will get the opportunity to watch you. It doesn’t need to be at a Grand Slam, but at any tournament. I’d be happy just to watch you practice,” he said.
“We have found a new champion, a champion who has made the Philippines proud, who has reminded Filipinos what a great race Filipinos are because we produce someone like you. And the qualities that you show the world are the best qualities of Filipinos.” – Rappler.com
