When Jackie Chan’s parents moved from Davao City in the Philippines to New York around 1965, tennis was not a sport they followed. Earlier this month, they sat in the stands at the U.S. Open for the first time to watch Alexandra “Alex” Eala, the 21-year-old who has become the Philippines’ first major tennis star.<\/p>\n
“It was a really special experience for our family,” said Chan, 46, a hair salon owner in Queens who went to Eala’s second- and third-round matches with her parents.<\/p>\n
Eala’s season has drawn Filipinos to a sport many of them had never watched, both in the Philippines and among the roughly 10 million Filipinos living abroad. Her matches in Melbourne, Dubai and New York this year have filled with fans carrying Philippine flags, many of them overseas workers and immigrant families.<\/p>\n
On Monday, Eala beat Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej 6-1, 6-0 at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, to reach the quarterfinals. She chose to represent the Philippines there instead of playing the WTA’s China Open, a mandatory tournament, and could be fined up to $10,000 for skipping it.<\/p>\n
Eala began the year ranked No. 53 in the world and has since climbed to No. 18. At Wimbledon in July, she beat defending champion Iga Swiatek to reach the fourth round. In August, she beat Jessica Pegula in the DC Open final and became the first Filipino to win a singles title on the WTA Tour.<\/p>\n
At the U.S. Open, Eala reached the third round for the first time. Chan and her parents were in Louis Armstrong Stadium for her second-round win over Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, when Filipino fans filled the stands with flags and chants.<\/p>\n
“It was amazing seeing how many Filipinos showed up,” Chan said. “You could feel the support throughout the stadium, and it made the match feel like more than just a tennis match.”<\/p>\n
Eala lost her next match to American Iva Jovic. Chan said her family was disappointed but still proud. “Seeing a Filipino player make it that far meant a lot to us,” she said. “Though this was my family’s first time really supporting tennis, [we] will definitely keep following her.”<\/p>\n
Nicolas Wright, 20, a Filipino-American sprinter who runs the 60-meter dash for the University of Connecticut, had not watched much tennis before Eala. He started following her through watch parties hosted by a Filipino student club on campus.<\/p>\n
“I’m only half Filipino, but being involved with the Filipino club at UConn has helped me connect with that side of myself,” Wright said. “Seeing Eala compete at that level made me proud.”<\/p>\n
Wright said his family now watches her together when they can, especially during big tournaments. “It’s something that gives us another reason to connect with our Filipino side,” he said.<\/p>\n
Eala faces Joanna Garland of Chinese Taipei in the Asian Games quarterfinals on Wednesday. The winner of the women’s singles event will earn a spot at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, provided she stays in the top 500 through June 2028.<\/p>\n
Chan said she would go see Eala play again. “I hope she keeps improving and gets more experience playing against the best players,” she said. “I’d love to see her make another deep run at the U.S. Open and represent the Philippines at the Asian Games.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When Jackie Chan’s parents moved from Davao City in the Philippines to New York around 1965, tennis was not a sport they followed. Earlier this month, they sat in the stands at the U.S. Open for the first time to watch Alexandra “Alex” Eala, the 21-year-old who has become the Philippines’ first major tennis star.<\/p>\n