A bit overwhelming

It was a disappointing ending for the country’s darling, pride and joy when she crashed out of the Australian Open tennis singles and doubles matches, the first Grand Slam event of the year.  Filipinos packed the smaller Court 6, with many of her flag-waving countrymen watching the match on widescreens outside the playing court.

Alex Eala, the only Filipino male or female that’s ever been on a tennis major tournament draw, could not translate to victory the crowd’s rabid support, and her loss naturally is cannon fodder for the naysayers.  Well, these people thrive on negativity.

She admitted that the attention she got, even during practices, was ‘a bit overwhelming’.  She’s still young, and as a national team coach would like to say, overseas tournaments, win or lose, are a learning experience. 

I can confirm of the Filipino’s support to Eala as me and my wife Denise had the chance to watch her win her first match at the US Open last August.  The crowd was noisy but not rowdy and the umpire had to ask the crowd to quiet down a few times.   Yes, to the frequent irritation of Clara Tauson.

In the first WTA event in the country to be held at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center on January 24 to 31, Eala is listed as a wildcard entry, and tickets reportedly are already sold out. 

Seen the Nike ad for the Australian Open?  Big names like Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka, Yanik Sinner and Naomi Osaka were on it.  Eala got the last billing, with the caption, “You’ll regret underestimating her”.  A bit overwhelming or not, and whether bashers like it or not, she’s now a legitimate tennis star.

Going back to the WTA event coming in a few days, there will be a good number of foreign guests coming into the country.  Add the ASEAN Tourism Forum which Cebu will host at the end of the month.

Admittedly, we have incomparable attractions and destinations but letting tourists sit in traffic for a few hours is not inviting.  Resort restaurant prices, especially on small islands, are ridiculously expensive.  Airport immigration queues are long and tedious, attended only by a handful of personnel.

It could be a bit overwhelming also for the tourists but something has to be done if we have to improve our tourist arrivals.