Alex Eala has already had a major effect on the Canadian Open without even playing

Alex Eala is riding the crest of a wave at present, following her monumental first WTA Tour title at the Washington Open.

Eala defeated Jessica Pegula to claim her first WTA title and she now faces a quick turnaround to get ready for the Canadian Open.

The tournament had already begun when Eala played Pegula in the final, after Washington storms ensured the match was played a day later than planned.

Eala is set to play Alycia Parks in her second round match and it is planned to take place on Wednesday, 5th August’s order of play at the Masters event.

There had already been whispers of Eala’s popularity at the Canadian event, as she has been compared to Serena Williams, but now we know how many tickets she has sold.

Speaking on The Tennis Channel, as reported by Gill Gross, Canadian Open tournament director Karl Hale has confirmed where Eala will be playing her first match.

More Alex Eala news

“Our Grandstand court is 2,800 seats,” said Hale while talking about Eala’s schedule in Toronto. “We can’t put her on there because she probably sold upwards of 5,000 tickets.”

The main court at the Canadian Open’s Toronto site is Sobeys Stadium, which holds 12,500 spectators, so there is plenty of opportunity for Eala’s fans to pack it out.

The likes of Iga Swiatek and Aryna Sabalenka have already played on it this year, so it’s testament to Eala’s popularity that she is currently on par with the biggest players on the WTA Tour.

This is the second tournament in a row that has seen a surge in demand for tickets when Eala is playing.

The Washington Open said tickets for Eala’s matches had surged by ‘at least 80%, if not more’, according to tournament director Mark Ein.

“Honestly, I think it’s more, and they just didn’t want to say it was more, but they’re, like, virtually all. It’s not an exaggeration,” continued Ein.

“That’s actually what they tell me. When you look at the amazing players here and how many great stars there are, it says something about Alex’s following.

“Obviously she’s been an icon, become an icon in the Philippines, but worldwide. So there’s obviously Filipinos everywhere.”

Eala has proved popular all over the world during the 2026 season, particularly at the Australian Open and the Middle Eastern swing, but it seems to have gone up another level during the North American hardcourt swing.

Thankfully for Eala, she has been living up to her popularity by putting in some of the best performances of her young career so far.