Alexandra Eala is experiencing a meteoric rise that is reshaping the sport’s landscape. Recently reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 20 and capturing her first WTA Tour-level singles title at the DC Open, the 21-year-old has earned a spot at the elite level.
But more interestingly, the sheer size of the Filipina’s global fan support is a phenomenon that tennis is not very familiar with. According to former doubles world No. 1 and tennis analyst Rennae Stubbs, Eala’s fandom is what the opponents must now prepare for.
Rennae Stubbs Highlights Alexandra Eala’s Incredible Crowd Support in Canada
On the latest episode of “The Rennae Stubbs Podcast,” the former doubles No. 1-turned coach cited Eala’s match against Belinda Bencic at the Canadian Open as an example of what the rest of the tour is currently dealing with.
“When you’re playing Alex Eala, you’re not just playing a very good player; you’re playing against, I would say, 70% of people who are coming to watch her match are going to be fully against you,” Stubbs said.
She noted the stark contrast in crowd reactions, with around 80% or even more of the Canadian crowd cheering for Eala, despite Canadian fans usually being supportive of both players. “When you go up against a player like that, you have to mentally prepare yourself for the onslaught of fans,” added the Australian.
Meanwhile, the new fandom, according to analysts, is fundamentally different from traditional tennis crowds. Stubbs shared observations from former player Andrea Petkovic and other match commentators, who noted that the Eala fans don’t fully understand the sport yet because they’re so new to it. However, a massive influx of new fans could be helpful to the sport.
In her best season so far, Eala secured major wins against top-10 players, including former World No. 1 Iga Świątek, World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka, and Elina Svitolina. But her career-best seven-match winning streak ended in Toronto against Bencic.
After defeating Eala, 6-4, 6-0, in the fourth round of the National Bank Open, the Swiss thanked the Filipino fans who showed up and cheered.
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“I know most of you guys were cheering for Alex, but I still have to say it was very nice for me to play in front of you all,” Bencic said during her on-court interview. “Thank you so much for the great crowd tonight.”
Next up, Eala will debut at the Cincinnati Open as the 17th seed, to add to her impressive hardcourt stretch.
