There appears to be a parallel between Philippine tennis standout Alex Eala and world No. 4 Coco Gauff.
While Gauff remains among the sport’s elite, Eala has climbed to world No. 47, steadily building her presence on the global stage.
Gauff acknowledged Eala’s growing influence, thanking her for bringing “a new demographic to the sport.” She added, “I know sometimes it’s tough when you’re playing against a home crowd.”
That home-court atmosphere has followed Eala beyond the Philippines. In the United Arab Emirates alone, there are around one million Filipinos working across the seven emirates, with a significant concentration in Dubai and the second largest in Abu Dhabi. Many have consistently shown up to support the 20-year-old Filipina whenever she competes abroad.
During the Australian Open, Eala drew a strong Filipino crowd. The tournament organizers were later criticized over crowd control issues, as social media buzzed about the loud support from Filipino fans. Eala eventually bowed to Alycia Parks, 0-6, 6-3, 6-2.
“I didn’t expect that many people to be there,” Eala told the media after the match.
For many overseas Filipinos, supporting Eala is more than watching a tennis match; it is rallying behind a compatriot carrying the national flag on the global stage.
Dubai-based professional photographer Mosh Lafuente said he planned to watch and cover Eala’s matches in the UAE.
“Alam kong may mga tennis player na Filipino, pero si Alex ang nagbibigay ng home pride at recognition pagdating sa tennis. Napunta sa global map ang Pilipinas sa tennis. I’m rooting for Alex,” Lafuente said. [I know there are Filipino tennis players, but it’s Alex who gives home pride and recognition when it comes to tennis. The Philippines lands on the global map in tennis.]
Lafuente added, “Although her struggles are different from most of the Pinoys working here in the UAE and other parts of the world, she started as a nobody. Ngayon, crowd-drawer na siya. Sabi ko nga sa parents niya, [Now she’s a crowd-drawer. I told her parents that] I’ve covered World Championships here before, like Roger Federer, pero ito phenomenal, second day pa lang ito [but this is phenomenal, it’s only second day].”
On the court, Eala has delivered—and continues to do so.
She stunned world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy, 6-1, 7-6(5), to book a spot in the Round of 16. Paolini is a Wimbledon and French Open finalist and a former WTA 1000 champion.
“To be able to compete with her at this level is a great achievement for me,” Eala said.
She followed that victory with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Romania’s Sorana Cîrstea on Day 2, further cementing her strong run.
Eala’s rapid rise mirrors the resilience often associated with the Filipino diaspora.
“I’ve been on the road competing week after week this year,” she said.
Among her milestones was winning a Grand Slam singles match at the US Open in August 2025, becoming the first Filipino player to achieve the feat after defeating Denmark’s Clara Tauson.
Despite falling short against Gauff in their recent meeting, Eala continues to gain momentum as she prepares for the Indian Wells Open in the United States.
“Sometimes, when all this attention and all of this pressure get a little bit overwhelming for me, that’s kind of what I repeat to myself. And that’s what makes me feel small again and pulls me back to the ground is that the everyday person, not only Filipinos, just everyone around the world has their own struggles, and in the end, it’s a privilege to be able to live out my dreams,” Eala said.
Wherever she competes, Filipino supporters have shown they can turn any venue into a home court.
And as her career continues to ascend, one thing is becoming clear, there is indeed something about Alex. —story by Bernard Testa, photos by Mosh Lafuente
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by Mosh Lafuente
