Like the Ginebra diehards, Alex Eala fans can be loud, wildly cheering not just the Filipino’s every point, but also her opponent’s errors — defying some of tennis’ unwritten rules
When Alex Eala started hitting international headlines, the raucous Filipino fans became as much a part of the spectacle as her giant-slaying ways.
Just days after Eala captured her first WTA Tour title before a capacity crowd in Washington, the 21-year-old Filipina ace packed the stands again in Toronto, with tournament organizers noting how tickets in her opening match sold out in 30 minutes, and how they had to move it from the Grandstand to the bigger Centre Court of the Sobeys Stadium.
“Our Grandstand court is 2,800 seats. We can’t put her on there because she probably sold upwards of 5,000 tickets,” tournament director Karl Hale said.
Come match day, the fans made Toronto feel like a home court, with Philippine flags all around and the boisterous cheers making it less like a tennis event and more like a basketball game.
