Alexandra Eala sparks tennis surge in Philippines after maiden WTA singles title
Historic victory in Washington Open highlights both the rising star's potential and the elite nature of tennis in her home country.
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Alexandra Eala won her maiden WTA singles title at the Washington Open, sparking a surge of interest in tennis in the Philippines and drawing praise from President Ferdinand R Marcos Jnr.
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Alexandra Eala won her maiden WTA singles title at the Washington Open after beating Jessica Pagula.
Alexandra Eala was already on her way to becoming the Philippines’ next global star, and that was before she beat a grand slam winner, an Olympic gold medallist and the defending champion while winning her maiden WTA singles title.
Following her fairy tale run at Wimbledon, the 21-year-old’s victory over world No 3 Jessica Pagula in the Washington Open on Tuesday has sparked another surge of interest in the sport in her home country.
Her performance drew praise from Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jnr, who congratulated her on “yet another historic achievement”.
“You continue to redefine what is possible for Philippine tennis and inspire countless young Filipinos to dream without limits,” he said in a message on social media.
But Eala’s success, while inspiring, has also exposed the elite nature of tennis in a country where she had to learn on painted-over basketball courts in Quezon City, before moving to Spain to attend the Rafa Nadal Academy on a scholarship at the age of 13.
Court rentals in Manila cost around 2,000 pesos (US$32) per hour, meaning half a day’s play costs half the minimum wage.
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