Alex Eala’s fans reciprocate her love by packing even her practices

Even Alex Eala’s training sessions are certified sellouts. —KEATS LONDON

There was, for Alex Eala, something a bit unfamiliar about this year’s US Open.

“It felt different, definitely,” she said on Wednesday (Manila time) after her victory over Mary Stoiana in her opening match at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York.

“It was my first time playing on one of the main stadiums here [at the] US Open, and it was very loud,” the world No. 18 told reporters. “And especially when the roof is covered. So that’s something that adds to the atmosphere, but it’s also something you have to navigate.”

There was also that one bit about coming in as a seeded player, 17th in the women’s field, compared to last year when she won her first main-draw Grand Slam match against a seeded opponent.

“Yeah, of course, coming in as a seeded player and having done pretty good … [during] American swing, it brings a different vibe,” the Filipino superstar said. “Of course, you’re a little more confident.”

“But [that’s] not to say that one is … more challenging than the other. It’s just different circumstances. There’s a little more expectation [this year].”

Eala was playing Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine at press time with a shot at extending her run at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, which is about a seven-minute train ride from Woodside, the Queens neighborhood known as “Little Manila” for its strong Filipino community.

And staying in contention would mean a lot to her fans, mostly immigrants from the Philippines, who take every opportunity to see her in the flesh. Eala Mania has turned every WTA tournament the 21-year-old ace joins into an “it” event. And that’s amplified in New York, where even her practice sessions have been packed to the rafters.

But whether or not she gets an extended stint, playing in the US Open already means so much for Eala, who first played in New York in an eight-under tournament more than a decade ago.

“It’s nice to revisit this place and experience it a little bit differently in different stages of my life,” she said before the tournament started.

Against Stoiana, Eala put on a dominant show, but she admitted that beneath the surface, she dealt with some inner tension.

“[T]here were nerves for sure. And I’m not really sure if I can pinpoint where they came from, if it’s from the noise, if it’s from [playing in] the first round of a Slam,” she said. “But I think with experience, my goal is to, you know, tune it out. And I’ve, I’ve had experience with big crowds, especially in the past year.”

“And in the end, when you get into the groove, get into the rhythm … a match is a match, whether or not I think there are so many people.”