‘I want to be Eala’: Philippine sensation sparks tennis boom at home

In Manila, a cracked seashell court witnessed the dreams of young tennis enthusiasts, inspired by the country's first homegrown tennis sensation, Alexandra Eala. The 21-year-old's ascent to the 20th position in the WTA rankings, just over a year after her first Grand Slam tournament at the 2025 French Open, has ignited a tennis boom in the nation.

Racquet sales have surged, and securing a court has become a challenge due to the influx of eager young players. Eala's rise has not only attracted spectators but also motivated children to take up the sport. The Philippine Tennis Association (PhilTA) executive director, Tonette Mendoza, noted that parents are now considering enrolling their children in tennis, hoping they could become the next Eala.

Even French sporting goods retailer Decathlon has jumped on the bandwagon, capitalizing on the Eala wave with increased sales of beginner racquets, up by 66 percent in the past year. With fewer than 1,000 tennis courts in the archipelago, Eala's success has prompted local governments to build hardcourts and promote tennis clinics.

Despite the massive diaspora of Filipinos overseas, Eala's achievement has generated unprecedented excitement and interest in tennis across the nation.