‘Face of the Philippines’: Fans celebrate Alex Eala ahead of Indian Wells stint

Alexandra "Alex" Eala continues to draw strong support from fans ahead of her campaign at the Indian Wells Open.

The Filipina world No. 32 will begin her run on Saturday morning (Philippine time) when she faces Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska in the Round of 64 after receiving a first-round bye.

In a video posted on the tournament’s social media pages, Filipino fans shared why they continue to rally behind the rising tennis star.

"She's humble and she works hard. Yes, that's why we like her, you know, because she's the face of the Philippines," one fan said.

"When Eala plays, we all get together and watch her and support her as a group.”

For Eala, the growing support from Filipino fans is something she once only dreamed of.

“You know, I’ve only dreamed of making tennis grow in the Philippines, and now I'm bringing a whole new audience to tennis all around the world,” Eala said.

“My friends tell me the courts are full at home—so many things are happening that I didn’t think would come because of what I'm doing on tour,” she added.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by BNP Paribas Open (@bnpparibasopen)

The Filipina tennis ace has also been earning praise from international stars for helping bring new audiences to the sport.

Earlier this year, Novak Djokovic described the growing crowds around Eala during the Australian Open as a “good problem” for organizers.

Meanwhile, Coco Gauff also commended Eala for helping attract new fans to tennis.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News