Arzen Rose Dulzura

National Bank Open spotlights Alex Eala: ‘Another few thousand people seemed to discover a new favorite player’

Article (news)

Alyana De Guzman

Push Team

<p>Alex Eala may not have lifted the Canadian Open trophy, but her historic run in Toronto left an impact that extended far beyond the tennis court. </p><p>The Filipino tennis star was spotlighted by the National Bank Open in its post-tournament video, highlighting the wave of Filipino support that followed her throughout the tournament and the phenomenon now fondly called “Ealamania.” </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2026/8/10/alex-eala-on-facing-belinda-bencic-tough-one-today-1334"><strong><u>READ: Alex Eala on facing Belinda Bencic: ‘Tough one today’</u></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>Alex&#x27;s Canadian Open campaign ended on August 10 (PHT) after Switzerland&#x27;s Belinda Bencic defeated her, 6-4, 6-0, at Sobeys Stadium. The WTA 1000 tournament was eventually won by current World No. 5 Iga Swiatek. </p><p>Despite her exit, Alex became one of the memorable stories of this year&#x27;s tournament, with thousands of Filipinos filling the stands and cheering for the 21-year-old tennis star. </p><p>The National Bank Open captured that atmosphere in its social media reel, which looked back at the memorable moments from the two-week tournament. </p><p>“One city. Two weeks. Countless moments. ❤️🎾  The story of the 2026 National Bank Open in Toronto. What a ride. 🫶,” the caption read. </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2026/8/10/alex-eala-on-bringing-filipino-culture-worldwide-with-tennis-1643"><strong><u>READ: Alex Eala on bringing Filipino culture worldwide with tennis: &#x27;That just shows you what kind of a community we are&#x27;</u></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>The tournament first highlighted the star-studded field that gathered in Toronto, featuring some of the biggest names in women&#x27;s tennis. </p><p>&quot;There are tennis tournaments, and then there are weeks when the whole thing just catches fire. Toronto had one of those. The world&#x27;s best women came to Canada. Sabalenka, Swiatek, Osaka, Gauff, Fernandez. Champions, Grand Slam winners, and future legends.&quot; </p><p>But among the sport&#x27;s biggest names, the tournament found another player who became a major part of its story. </p><p>&quot;And then there was Alex Eala. Filipino tennis arrived in Toronto and, well, Ealamania. Suddenly, every match had a lot more noise. Every Filipino flag felt a little bit bigger. Every time Alex walked out onto court, another few thousand people seemed to discover a new favorite player. And that&#x27;s the thing about this tournament, you never quite know who&#x27;s gonna steal the show.&quot; </p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-17" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcCSDa0DbRx/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A17%2C%22os%22%3A24752674.5%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-17" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>The reel showed Alex smiling and waving to her supporters, many of whom proudly brought their own piece of the Philippines to the stands through flags, banners, and jerseys bearing the word “Pilipinas.” </p><p>&quot;The tennis was world-class. The weather, perfect. The stands, packed, sold out night after night. And somewhere between the screaming crowds, the late finishes, the big points, and the Canadian summer, it stopped feeling like just another tournament. It felt like an event, a proper one. The kind where you come for the tennis and leave having found a player you&#x27;ll be watching for years. </p><p>This is the Canadian Open, the best in the world, and absolutely no shortage of drama,&quot; the reel concluded. </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2026/8/11/meet-miko-the-brother-of-alex-eala-who-helped-shape-her-tennis-journey-1914"><strong><u>READ: Meet Miko, the brother of Alex Eala who helped shape her tennis journey</u></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>For Filipino fans, however, the experience was about more than simply watching Alex compete. Her matches became an opportunity for the community to come together and proudly represent the Philippines on an international stage. </p><p>The post quickly drew reactions from Filipinos, many of whom thanked both Alex and the National Bank Open for recognizing the remarkable support surrounding her. </p><p>“ONE FOR THE BOOKS!!! EALA mania conquered Toronto. What a scene it was. Filipino crowd in tennis is def a thing of beauty. SALAMAT @alex.eala. SALAMAT @nbotoronto 🙌🫶🇵🇭,” one fan wrote. </p><p>“Been re-watching this reel so many times already. It was truthfully narrated, having said what transpired. There are winners and there are those that truly made this tournament memorable. I&#x27;d forever remember the cheering crowd behind Alex. It really does move you,” another commented. </p><p>“@alex.eala this is a tribute to you - your hard work and how you brought the Philippines together during the NB open 🇵🇭 Mabuhay ka ❤️,” one more fan added. </p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-19" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/Db51efVEkCI/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A19%2C%22os%22%3A24816252.699999988%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="548" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-19" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>The Filipino presence was also felt beyond the stands. As Ealamania swept through Toronto, Filipino culture became part of the tournament atmosphere, with staples such as lumpiang Shanghai and adobo served during the event. </p><p>National Bank Open tournament director Karl Hale also recognized the &#x27;unprecedented&#x27; response surrounding Alex, particularly the connection she built with Filipino fans. </p><p>“It was just unprecedented. We’ve never seen anything like that in Toronto before. It was unexpected,” Karl said during the post-tournament press conference. “She was just so engaging with her fans and the community. It was really beautiful to see her so loyal to her fans,” he added. </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2026/8/15/alex-eala-admits-being-in-the-spotlight-can-be-heavy-and-fun-1345"><strong><u>READ: Alex Eala admits being in the spotlight can be ‘heavy’ and ‘fun’: ‘It’s a crazy experience’</u></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>Karl had previously spoken about the demand surrounding Alex even before her campaign began, noting that her opening match on Center Court was sold out and that fans were already asking about her schedule even before the tournament started because they were eager to see her play in person. </p><p>After her Canadian Open tournament, the Filipino tennis star is now competing at the Cincinnati Open, where she is the No. 17 seed.  </p><p>She advanced to the third round after defeating Romania&#x27;s Elena-Gabriela Ruse on August 16 (PHT). </p><p>Alex was leading 6-1, 3-0 when the match was suspended for safety due to lightning. Elena, who had requested a medical break before the suspension, later retired from the match, giving Alex a walkover win. </p><p>For her next match, she will next face No. 9 seed and current World No. 10 Amanda Anisimova.</p>

<p>National Bank Open highlights Alex Eala and the thousands of Filipinos who rallied behind her in Toronto. </p>

National Bank Open highlights Alex Eala and the thousands of Filipinos who rallied behind her in Toronto.