Alexandra Eala advances at the US Open as her fans become the tournament's loudest crowd

Convincing first-round win

Alexandra Eala, the 21-year-old Filipina seeded 17th, beat American qualifier Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday at Louis Armstrong Stadium, racing to an early 5-0 lead in the opening set. The victory sent her into the second round for the second year running, where she will face Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliinykova.

A crowd like no other

According to Yahoo Sports, Eala's matches draw one of the loudest and most passionate crowds at this year's US Open. Fans arrive waving Philippine flags and wearing "Laban Alex" ("Fight, Alex") caps; the practice court was reportedly full hours before her evening match, with many supporters lacking tickets to the session itself. Eala has said she welcomes the noise, describing it as something that "doesn't get old."

Rising profile off the court

Her growing fame has extended beyond tennis. New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson, who shares Filipino heritage, publicly congratulated Eala after her win. Nike has produced a graphic T-shirt celebrating her Filipino roots as part of her tournament outfit, and in Queens, Filipino artist Pau Tiu, 32, has been printing posters in support of Eala from a makeshift workshop set up inside a church.

The attention has not been without controversy: some fans and commentators criticized organizers for scheduling Eala at the main Louis Armstrong Stadium for the second time this season, while former champion Iga Swiatek's third-round match was placed on the smaller Grandstand court.