MANILA, Philippines — Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala is currently playing in Toronto, Canada and, as expected, Filipino fans flocked the venue to support her.
In her opening match at the WTA 1000 National Bank Open, a sold-out record crowd of 10,000 fans watched her score a 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 victory over American Alycia Parks.
The frenzy, however, began in Dubai in February when Eala die-hards, mostly overseas Filipino workers, watched Eala score an emphatic victory over world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini.
Now, the Eala mania is in Toronto.
“Dubai was also a lot. I think it's very difficult. It's very difficult to compare. I do think it's a different, it's a very different vibe. I saw so many Filipino flags today, gave me so much joy, but yeah, I would have to say they're neck-and-neck. It's very difficult to compare,” Eala said during the post-game presser when she was asked if Dubai or Toronto had a bigger crowd supporting her.
After the dominant Filipino crowd followed the proper tennis etiquette in the entire match, Eala’s fans erupted in cheers after she rallied to beat Parks in their round of 64 duel.
“I think I was so hyped after the match. I was so hyped. Yeah, it didn't end in the on-court interview, like when I was in the gym. I was so hyped still. I think this win really meant a lot. I think it was a great opportunity for me to learn and to grow as a player,” Eala said.
Canadian Open tournament director Karl Hale acknowledged how Eala can draw a crowd and even added a Filipino dish in the stand, “Adobo,” in the tournament.
“We’ve never really seen it before this early in the tournament, where a player has so much enthusiasm, and especially from a community. Usually, it’s hundreds of fans or a couple of hundred of fans coming out, but this is thousands of fans coming out,” Hale told CBC News.
"We've never seen a player ranked outside the top five have this type of effect,” he added.
