Alex Eala is turning heads on and off the court.
On it, she is coming off her first breakthrough Grand Slam run after reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon, where she beat defending champion Iga Swiatek in straight sets along the way.
Off it, she recently enjoyed a whistle-stop tour to Manila in her native Philippines. There, an army of fans follows every single one of her matches.
Indeed, during her run at the grass court major, thousands of fans packed out stadiums for watch-along parties. The 21-year-old has a huge following back home, but that is also becoming Asia-wide.
Incidentally, ahead of playing in the Mubadala DC Open in Washington next week, the Filipino wrote in an Instagram story on Monday, “That’s a wrap on Manila.
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“Maraming salamat sa pagtanggap sa akin mga kababayan (Thank you for giving me a warm welcome, fellow Filipinos)! Each and every one of your stories has touched me on a profound level.
“I leave with a refreshed memory of what I carry when I’m out there playing tennis. And wow is it a privilege to be part of something bigger than myself. Never been prouder to represent home.”
Since touching down in the United States, it has emerged that Eala has teamed up with Metro Magazine as part of a glamourous photo shoot.
An extract in their article talks about how Eala treats her fans even when she is tired and does not feel particularly sociable. While she can go through those moments, the youngster made it clear how much her supporters mean to her.
The text reads, ‘One question we asked her was what the longest time she had ever spent signing autographs and tennis balls after a match was. And we acknowledged that after a match, she could be tired, spent, and wanting nothing more than to head to the locker room.
‘But Alex smiled, did not mention a specific period of time, but spoke about how she’s very aware that her fans have spent hours traveling to her match, lining up for tickets and then for seats, bringing customized placards and banners, cheering her on during the match, and waiting afterward to capture a moment with her.
‘So for her, it doesn’t matter how tired she may be – she’s more than ready to give her utmost back to these supporters.’
Aside from the interview, Eala’s various outfits with Metro drew praise from the likes of two-time major winner Coco Gauff, among others.
On the Instagram post, Gauff commented, “Gorgeous”, while former world No 39 Eva Lys wrote, “Just died”. It was also liked by the likes of former ATP top 50 player Chris Eubanks and Canadian Open champion Victoria Mboko.
Eala, who is at a career-high ranking of 28, will hope for more success when her Washington campaign gets underway in the coming days. And every serve, groundstroke and volley will be watched by her army of adoring fans back home.
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