Fans bring Filipino flags, pride to US Open

The Alex Eala fans came bearing Philippine flags, and wearing hats telling her to fight on (“Laban Alex”). They cheered her sizzling groundstrokes, documented her volleys and serves in photos and video, and in some cases FaceTimed with friends or family — and this was only at the practice courts.

It was about four hours before Eala was to take the court for her first-round US Open match on Tuesday, and every seat at the practice court was filled. Many of Eala’s fans did not have tickets for the evening session, but they had come to see their idol hit some tennis balls.

It was hardly surprising, given the enormous, ardent, ever-growing fan base that surrounds the charismatic 21-year-old.

This summer, Eala beat Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon and won her first tour singles title. She is at a career-best 18th in the world, and she breezed into the second round of the US Open with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Mary Stoiana — closing it out with a confident smile.

One of the fans watching practice on a rainy afternoon was Andrea Belen, at 21 the same age as Eala.

Belen, a premed student at New York University, said that she had not been a big tennis fan until Eala came along — someone who looked just like her.

Belen’s father back home in Cleveland (the family’s originally from Laguna in the Philippines) also became a tennis fan out of pure admiration for Eala.

“It’s his new obsession,” Belen said. “It’s become the family hobby.”

She and her friend, Sarah Frederick, had arrived at the practice court long before Eala was to appear, surmising correctly that the seats would fill quickly.

In the Philippines, basketball and boxing reign supreme, and the sports heroes are men, Belen said.

“It’s just really nice to see a woman out there,” she said. “Also, she speaks in our native language, Tagalog.”

As Belen chatted and Eala pounded her groundstrokes, a voice from the row behind Belen called out: “Yay, Alex.”

Ellene Santos had come to the tournament from Orlando, Florida. Like Belen and Frederick, she did not have tickets for the evening match, but the 67-year-old was thrilled to get her Eala fix, just the same.

With practice over, four retired nurses, all friends, headed for the exit. They were wearing bright blue hats emblazoned with the phrase, “Laban Alex,” an exhortation to “fight.”

“I love how Alex shows she is so proud to be from the Philippines,” Joy Rodriguez, 65, said.

Her friend, Maria Espiritu, 67, said this was the first tennis tournament she had ever attended.

Nearby, Frances Arespacochaga, 77, was taking photos with fellow attendees. Arespacochaga lives in Manila, and was in the US visiting her sister in Massachusetts. Together they drove down to see Eala at the US Open — bearing flags.

“She’s very intelligent, very articulate,” Arespacochaga said of Eala. “In her interviews you can see her values.”

Belen, who FaceTimed with her father during the practice session so he could see Eala, spoke of a special Filipino pride in the achievements of countrymen. Like gymnast Carlos Yulo, who won two gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“Everyone went crazy,” she said. “We’re not that big of a country so those golds meant so much.”

“We’re very loud when it comes to supporting our people,” Belen said.

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