'Eala Mania' Hits Singapore as Filipino Tennis Star Draws Huge Crowds

Fans gather hours ahead of time

World No. 18 Alex Eala's popularity keeps growing — every city she visits seems to welcome her with an even bigger crowd. After Washington, Toronto and New York, "Eala Mania" has now reached Singapore, according to Gulf News.

On Wednesday, a day before Eala was due to open her Singapore Tennis Open campaign against Tatiana Prozorova in the round of 16, a large crowd turned out for a public Q&A session with the Filipino star. Fans of all ages began gathering at Gate 6 of the National Stadium hours before the event started.

Q&A and open practice

Eala was warmly cheered as she chatted with the host about topics ranging from her favourite food and music to her experiences on tour, and took time to read messages from fans. Among the crowd were supporters who had previously been unable to see her play live, as well as fans wearing her blue US Open kit.

An hour after the Q&A, Eala headed to Court 1 for a 30-minute practice session open to the public, giving fans a close look at her preparation for the Prozorova match. She was joined on court by her coach, Sandro Viaene of the Rafa Nadal Academy. Afterwards, she again made time for supporters, who waited with caps, tennis balls and other merchandise hoping for an autograph.

Organisers: 'a surprise every day'

Asked whether they were ready for "Eala Mania," Singapore Tennis Open co-tournament directors Laura Ceccarelli and Yazed Osman could only laugh. "I don't think we can ever be ready," Ceccarelli said. "It's a surprise every day. You hear more and more." Osman welcomed the growing support from the Filipino community, saying the event aims to build a connection between athletes and fans, not only for the Singapore audience.

The occasion carried extra significance because of Eala's history with Singapore, which goes back nearly a decade. In 2016 and 2017 she competed in the WTA Future Stars event there, where she received the Li Na Award for the most inspirational player of the future — given, as Osman noted, when she was still very young.