Alex Eala’s match leads Canadian Open organizers to make a big change in the tournament
The Canadian Open organizers had an important choice to make before Alex Eala’s first-round match—and it looks like they’ll keep facing this challenge as long as she stays in the tournament.
Eala, who just won her very first WTA 500 title at the Washington Open on Monday, was back on court only two days later in Toronto. She beat Alycia Parks 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 in a tough three-set match. Parks, ranked 68th in the world, served really well and hit 10 aces. But Eala stayed focused and took the final set comfortably, helped by a super excited crowd in Toronto.
At 21 years old and from the Philippines, Eala made history. Tennis Connected shared that she was the first player, male or female, to sell out the opening Wednesday night session at the Canadian Open since Serena Williams.
Having home favorite Leylah Fernandez playing too definitely helped. Fernandez won her match against Renata Zarazua 6-2, 6-2 during the same session. But Eala is really one of the brightest rising stars in tennis right now and has a ton of fans cheering for her.
In fact, tournament director Karl Hale said her first-round match had to be played on Centre Court because she sold way more tickets than smaller courts can hold. “Our Grandstand court holds 2,800 seats,” Hale told Tennis Channel. “We couldn’t put her there because she probably sold over 5,000 tickets.”
He also shared a fun detail: the organizers even added new food options for fans when Eala plays, to celebrate the big Filipino crowd she draws. “It’s the first time I’ve ever heard of a tournament adding food halfway through just because of a player,” he said.
Hale added, “It’s amazing to see the Filipino community come out in huge numbers. Alex is a true gift to tennis and to our tournament. For months, they’ve been calling us to ask when and where she’d play. When we finally announced her start time, tickets sold out right away—just like that.”
Next up for Eala is a third-round match against US player Caty McNally, scheduled for Friday night in Toronto. If she wins, she’ll face the winner of Taylor Townsend vs. 12th seed Belinda Bencic in the quarter-finals. And if she keeps making her way through, two-time Grand Slam winner Coco Gauff could be waiting in the semi-finals.
Speaking after her own match, Gauff talked about Eala’s impact on tennis: “The type of fans Alex is bringing to the sport is incredible, and we should all welcome it because it benefits us all. When I played her in Dubai, the crowd was amazing. It’s awesome to see people who don’t usually feel represented in tennis cheering her on. That kind of energy makes it fun to play. Plus, I gained some fans from her community after that match, which was really cool.
“I know Alex off the court, and what you see in her game is the same person she is outside the court. I’ll always be rooting for her, and it was great to see her win in Washington.”