ALEXANDRA Eala’s growing popularity continues to draw Filipino tennis fans to her matches, with supporters going the extra mile to watch her compete at the Cincinnati Open.
Sports reporter Colin Salao shared stories of Filipino fans he spoke with in Cincinnati, highlighting the lengths they have gone to support the 21-year-old Filipina.
A couple of interesting stories from the Filipino fans I spoke to here in Cincinnati:
– One group planned their college reunion around a trip to see Alex Eala. They’re based all around the U.S.
– One fan watched Eala in Toronto then drove eight hours to see her again here pic.twitter.com/VJBiKK20Op
— Colin Salao (@colincsalao) August 13, 2026
One group of fans reportedly planned a college reunion around a trip to Cincinnati specifically to watch Eala play. The friends are now based in different parts of the United States.
Another supporter followed Eala at the National Bank Open in Toronto before making an eight-hour drive to Cincinnati for another chance to see the Filipina star in action.
The stories reflect the growing following Eala has built in North America after her breakthrough season on the WTA Tour.
The Filipina tennis star arrived in Cincinnati a few days ago and has started her preparation for the tournament.
Eala has touched down in Cincy 🔥#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/RFPlQjGJBs
— Cincinnati Open (@CincyTennis) August 13, 2026
Eala enters the Cincinnati Open as the No. 17 seed after reaching the round of 16 in Toronto. She also recently captured the first WTA Tour singles title of her career at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington.
Her continued rise in the rankings and strong performances against established players have helped attract increasing support from the Filipino community at tournaments in North America.
The Cincinnati Open is Eala’s latest opportunity to extend her breakthrough season as she prepares for the US Open later this month. (Adrian Co)
