Jaehwa Bernardo

Alex Eala at the National Bank Open in Canada. Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

For Toronto tournament director, Alex Eala is 'absolute blessing' to tennis

Dyan Castillejo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1785998211861ALEX.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Alex Eala at the National Bank Open in Canada. Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News"/>Alex Eala at the National Bank Open in Canada. Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News</div>National Bank Open tournament director Karl Hale said Thursday the arrival of Alex Eala in Toronto has done things to the National Bank Open that he has never seen before despite running one of the oldest WTA 1000 tournaments in the world for years.“This is sensational. It’s great to have the Filipino community out in droves here,” Hale said. “Alex is an absolute blessing to the sport of tennis and our tournament.”Hale told the story of how the 10,077-seat stadium was gone almost instantly once Eala’s schedule was confirmed.“The Filipino community for months now has been calling in asking when does she play, who does she play, where does she play,” he said with a laugh.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/8/6/alex-eala-mania-sweeps-canadian-open-in-toronto-1121">READ: Alex Eala mania sweeps Canadian Open in Toronto </a></div>“They were so excited to have her! When we made the draw, we told them we’d announce her start time when it was confirmed. When we announced it, the phones rang, tickets sold, and boom — it was sold out on Wednesday night just like that.”When asked whether Eala might be too fatigued to compete in Toronto just days after winning the DC Open, Hale was not worried for a second.“At 21, you’re never too tired. You can recover quickly. We were in touch with her the whole time,” he said. “She is incredibly loyal to her fan base. There’s no way she was going to let them down here.”Eala is also set to play doubles alongside Venus Williams at the tournament as wildcards. “It’s an amazing tournament to have her here playing singles and doubles with Venus,” he said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/8/5/alex-eala-excited-to-team-up-again-with-venus-williams-in-toronto-1220">READ: Alex Eala excited to team up again with Venus Williams in Toronto </a></div>Beyond the hard courts, the Eala effect has even reached the food court in what Hale believes is a first for any tournament in the world by adding adobo in their menu.“It’s the first time I’ve ever heard of a tournament, halfway through the tournament, add a food offering just because of a player,” he said.Still, the broader tournament numbers tell their own story. The National Bank Open is the third oldest tournament in the world behind Wimbledon and the US Open -- and this year is shaping up to be its biggest ever.“Last year we did 504,000 fans. We’re breaking records on Saturday of attendance. Nine of the top ten are here. Everybody’s having a great time with the City of Toronto because it’s so multicultural,” Hale said. “It’s going to be a fantastic tournament.”<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/people-culture-events/2026/8/5/from-tennis-cakes-to-one-eala-brands-congratulate-alex-eala-after-dc-open-triumph-1648">READ: From tennis cakes to &#x27;One Eala&#x27;: Brands congratulate Alex Eala after DC Open triumph</a></div>

National Bank Open Tournament director Karl Hale said Thursday the arrival of Alex Eala in Toronto has done things to the National Bank Open that he has never seen before despite running one of the oldest WTA 1000 tournaments in the world for years.

National Bank Open Tournament director Karl Hale said Thursday the arrival of Alex Eala in Toronto has done things to the National Bank Open that he has never seen before despite running one of the oldest WTA 1000 tournaments in the world for years.