WITH yet another milestone unlocked for Philippine tennis as the country hosts its inaugural WTA 125 tournament, Alex Eala reminded Filipino fans to be 'mindful' in soaking in this moment.
During her recent Australian Open stint, Eala made headlines in the local press, as her overflowing supporters sparked discussions around fan attitude and etiquette, particularly among new followers of the sport.
READ: Djokovic says fan frenzy sparked by Eala a ‘nice problem’ to have
While Eala admitted attitude and etiquette are still in process for Filipino fans, she believes reminders regarding those best come from her.
And as PhilTA and the Philippine Sports Commission stage the Philippine Women’s Open, featuring Eala alongside top players Tatjana Maria, Solana Sierra, and Donna Vekic, among others, the young star offered a quick Tennis 101 for fans.
“To enjoy mindfully, be respectful to the players, try to absorb as much as you can from this experience. It doesn’t happen very often. Keep an open mind and enjoy while doing that, that’s the best thing you can do,” she said during Saturday’s mini-media conference arranged by organizers on Day 1 of the WTA 125 qualifying rounds.
Eala personally views this historic home tourney as a major step for Filipino fans to adopt a sponge-like attitude toward learning the sport and its finer details.
“I think this is a good platform for people to start to know more about tennis,” she said. “Not many people know about it, even the score system, and it’s really different to watch tennis compared to other sports. It’s a different experience, and I’m happy that people are exposed to that.”
Home is always where the heart is
Eala arrived earlier in the week following a first-round exit in her AO debut, bowing out in both singles and doubles play.
More than the results, the event - where she drew crowds and raked in online numbers - served as an eye-opener to her growing impact.
While she acknowledges the responsibility that comes with it, for now, Eala is simply happy to be home.
As she put it, “So surreal to have a home tournament and to see it come to life. I’m grateful and kind of in disbelief that its actually happening."
"Parang kailan lang, ang layo ng dream na 'to, but it’s happening. So happy to be sleeping on my bed with my family. It’s been eight years since last played in Rizal.”
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