How popularity overwhelmed Eala – and the Australian Open

The Australian Open had never seen a queue like it before.

Was Carlos Alcaraz practising out there? Maybe a thriller involving an Aussie? Or was it a food stall dishing out free grub?

But the clamour was to catch a glimpse of Alexandra Eala, the world number 49 from the Philippines.

Thousands of Filipinos descended on Melbourne Park, creating a logjam outside court six and a line that stretched several hundred yards through the grounds.

Eala’s pre-tournament news conference was watched online by 171,000 people, dwarfing those of superstars Alcaraz, Coco Gauff (both 29,000) and Aryna Sabalenka (9,000).

So why is 20-year-old Eala in such demand?

Put simply, Eala is a monumental star in the south-east Asian country – a nation which has limited pedigree on the tennis circuit.

Her surprising win over six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek at last year’s Miami Open ensured Eala’s life will never be the same again.

“This week there were elements that were a bit overwhelming, especially during my practices,” Eala said.

“I didn’t expect that many people to be there. It’s a learning process. I’m just trying to take it in.”

Eala, a product of Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca, has long been seen as a trailblazer after becoming the first Filipina to win a WTA Tour match in 2021.

In 2022, she became the first to win a junior Grand Slam title with her US Open triumph, leading to the then-teenager gracing the cover of Vogue back home.

Veteran boxer Manny Pacquiao may still be the nation’s most famous sporting star, but Eala’s exploits mean she is the sporting symbol of the next generation.

“She always carries the flag and the country proudly – that’s something which resonates with everyone,” Imee Vee, a Filipina who travelled from Sydney specifically to watch Eala, said.

“She’s becoming a national hero. Everyone is starting to stop what they’re doing and tune in to watch her matches. She dominates the sports news, too.”

What we have witnessed on Eala’s Australian Open main-draw debut should not have come as a total surprise.

While some like Vee travelled, the bulk came from Melbourne’s 60,000-strong Filipino population.

On Monday, it felt like they had all turned up to watch Eala’s first-round singles match. They were back in force for her doubles match on Tuesday.

“I’m still young so I’m learning how to deal with all of this attention, but then at the same time being grateful,” Eala said.

Despite the signs pointing to a large contingent of fans descending to watch Eala, it seemed to catch organisers by surprise.

The wisdom of putting her match against American Alycia Parks on court six – which holds about 1,500 people – came into serious question.

“I couldn’t believe the queues – who’s on the scheduling team?” Britain’s BJK Cup captain Anne Keothavong said on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Australian Open show.

Fans who waited outside the court told BBC Sport they were disappointed with how the area was managed.

Some had stood for several hours to see Eala but were told to move when security started to clear the area shortly after the match started.

The Australian Open, in response to a fan complaint on X, said it would “take it as a learning” for next year.

Schedulers waited to see how Tuesday’s play panned out before assigning Eala and her Brazilian partner Ingrid Martins a court for their doubles match, eventually putting them on court 14 at about 19:00 local time.

A group of security officers patrolled the perimeter – a rare sight for an outdoor court – while there was again a queue waiting to get in.

This time, though, it was tens rather than thousands.

“We’re very happy for her success, so we get over-excited,” Vee said.

“But it’s the first time a Philippines player has played here so we were overly joyous, rather than being rude to her opponent.”

The exuberance of the Filipino fans led to criticism from others, accusing them of being disrespectful by shouting out and cheering Parks’ mistakes.

The American, however, had the last laugh, fighting back from a dismal first set to win 0-6 6-3 6-2.

“You’ve got to give great credit to Parks,” added Keothavong.

“Having dropped the first set to love and having basically every single fan against you, it was very impressive how she came through that and kept it together.”