‘Laban Alex’: From a basketball- and boxing-obsessed nation where sporting heroes are mostly men, Filipina Alex Eala is creating a fandom of her own at US Open | Tennis News
The Alex Eala phenomenon is getting louder at Flushing Meadows — and, remarkably, it is no longer confined to the match courts.Hours before the Filipina star was due to begin her US Open campaign, fans had already packed the practice courts, many of them without tickets for her evening match. They came carrying Philippine flags, wearing blue caps emblazoned with “Laban Alex” — a rallying cry meaning “Fight, Alex” — and turning a routine practice session into something resembling a main-event sporting spectacle.They watched every forehand and backhand, recorded her serves and volleys on their phones and cheered as though Eala were already competing for a Grand Slam title.That is the scale of the fandom the 21-year-old has created in a country where basketball and boxing have traditionally dominated the sporting landscape, and where many of the biggest sporting heroes have been men.Eala is changing that conversation.Her rise has not only given Filipino tennis fans a player to follow. It has created a new generation of supporters who see themselves in a young woman competing — and succeeding — on one of the biggest stages in world sport.And as Eala continues to progress at the US Open, the noise around her is only growing.
From junior champion to one of the world’s rising stars
Four years ago, Eala announced herself to the tennis world in the very same city.In 2022, she became the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles title when she lifted the girls’ singles trophy at the US Open. At the time, it was a landmark achievement for Philippine tennis, but few could have imagined how quickly her profile would grow in the years that followed.Her transition into the senior game has been gradual but increasingly spectacular.Last year, Eala gave the New York crowd an early glimpse of what she could become when she produced a remarkable comeback against then world No. 14 Clara Tauson. Down 1-5 in the deciding set, she fought her way back to win, sending more than 8,000 spectators in the Grandstand into a frenzy as Filipino flags waved around the stadium.It was more than a memorable victory. It was a preview of the connection Eala was beginning to build with her country’s diaspora and with fans back home.She reached the second round of the US Open last year.Twelve months later, she is no longer simply the exciting young player from the Philippines.She is the world No. 18 and the No. 17 seed in New York, returning to Flushing Meadows as one of the most talked-about young players on the women’s tour.And this time, she has gone one step further.
Alexandra Eala (AP Photo)
Another breakthrough at Flushing Meadows
Eala’s latest US Open run began with a victory over American qualifier Mary Stoiana.She followed that up Thursday by powering past Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4, securing a place in the third round of the tournament for the first time.The victory also carried an element of redemption. Oliynykova had defeated Eala in three sets at the Strasbourg Open in May, but there was little doubt about the outcome this time.Eala immediately seized control, racing to a 4-0 lead in the opening set. Even after Oliynykova managed to get on the scoreboard with a break, Eala responded immediately and closed out the set 6-1.Her first serve was particularly effective, with Eala winning 10 of 12 points behind it in the opening set.The second set was more competitive, but Eala repeatedly found the decisive moments. After exchanging breaks, she produced another breakthrough in the seventh game and held her nerve to move within a game of victory.Oliynykova delayed the inevitable by holding serve, but Eala completed the job in the 10th game.The numbers reflected her authority. She produced 19 winners to Oliynykova’s six and never allowed the match to drift away from her control.Her reward is a third-round meeting with her close friend Iva Jovic, who defeated Fran Jones in straight sets.For Eala, it is another significant marker in a season that has transformed her career.
Fans of Alexandra Eala (AP Photo)
A season that has changed everything
The US Open is only the latest chapter in what has been a stunning 2026 for Eala.Earlier this year, she reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam and made history by becoming the first Filipino to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament.She then produced perhaps the biggest statement of her career at Wimbledon by defeating former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.And in Washington, she went all the way.Eala recovered from a set down against Jessica Pegula in the final to become the first Filipino to win a WTA Tour singles title.That victory was historic on several levels. She became the first Filipino to win a singles title on the WTA Tour and, soon after, climbed to world No. 18 on August 24.In doing so, she became the highest-ranked Filipino and Southeast Asian tennis player in WTA Tour history and the first Filipino to break into the world’s top 20.Her list of firsts has continued to expand: first Filipino to defeat a top-10 opponent, first to reach the fourth round of a major, first to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event and now the first to win a WTA singles title.The trajectory explains why the attention surrounding her in New York feels so different this year.
‘Laban Alex ‘ becomes a movement
The most striking evidence of Eala’s popularity is not necessarily found inside the stadium. It can be seen at the practice courts.Fans have travelled from across the United States to watch her train. Some have driven for hours. Others have arrived without tickets simply hoping to catch a glimpse of her.For some Filipino-American supporters, Eala has made tennis personal in a way few other players have.Her age, her background, her ability to speak Tagalog and her unapologetic pride in representing the Philippines have helped supporters identify with her.Some fans who had never considered themselves serious tennis followers have begun watching the sport because of Eala. Families have started following her matches together. Older supporters have travelled to New York carrying Philippine flags, while younger fans have turned “Laban Alex” into their own soundtrack for her matches.It is a distinctly Filipino expression of sporting support — emotional, communal and increasingly impossible to ignore.Eala’s achievements are also resonating because Filipinos have historically rallied strongly around athletes who break through on the international stage.The country’s pride in Olympic champions such as gymnast Carlos Yulo has shown how quickly individual sporting success can become a national celebration.Eala is now creating something similar in tennis. The difference is that her story is still being written.
The next chapter could be even bigger
Eala has been careful to keep the attention in perspective.Her rapid rise has brought her into the company of some of the biggest names in tennis, including former champions and world No. 1s. Partnerships and practice sessions with players such as Venus Williams and Naomi Osaka have given her an opportunity to learn from the sport’s history while experiencing first-hand what it takes to remain at the highest level.Her success has also forced the tennis world to take notice.Former players and analysts have praised the improvement in her game, particularly over the past year, while marvelling at the size and intensity of the crowds she attracts.At just 21, Eala is already a Grand Slam junior champion, a WTA tournament winner, a top-20 player and a player capable of beating the very best.Yet perhaps the most remarkable part of her US Open story is that the tournament itself appears to be growing with her.Four years ago, she was a junior champion celebrating her first major breakthrough. Last year, she was the young Filipina who stunned Tauson and reached the second round. This year, she returned as a seeded player ranked inside the world’s top 20.Now she is through to the third round.And around her, the Filipino flags are multiplying, the practice courts are filling up and the chants of “Laban Alex” are getting louder.
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