Alexandra Eala is set to play an exhibition event in front of her passionate fans in the Philippines in December, but hopes of a sell-out crowd and a new record for a tennis match may be fading.
Eala has emerged as one of the most talked-about players in tennis over the last few months, with her fan base growing at a rapid rate and the tennis ecosystem as a whole enjoying a big boost on the back of her success.
All the major tournaments, TV networks, tennis podcasts and media have done extra coverage around Eala’s story over the last few months, as the reaction to stories around the Filipina spikes interactions on all platforms.
The euphoria around Eala is likely to have been a factor in the WTA Tour opting to add a WTA 250 tournament in the Philippines to their schedule in 2027, with her star power set to be tested by the mega event set to take place in Philippine Arena in Bulacan on December 8th.
The biggest crowd to watch a tennis match saw 51,954 spectators cram into the ‘Match for Africa’ event at Cape Town in February 2020 and there was a potential for Eala to break that record when she plays Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in an exhibition event.
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However, tickets for the match do not appear to be selling as quickly as organisers might have hoped, with only 12 sections of the vast Philippine Arena, which has been recognised as the world’s largest mixed-use indoor theatre and arena by the Guinness Book of Records.
There is likely to be a rush to buy tickets as publicity is ramped up ahead of the match, but selling 55,000 tickets for a tennis event would be a remarkable achievement for Eala and event organisers, given the lack of tennis heritage in the Philippines.
Eala has reached out to her fans by promoting the event on her social media platforms and even if the venue is not a complete sell-out, it will still be a celebration of a wonderful story for Eala.
The event is still expected to attract a huge crowd and in the opinion of tennis legend John McEnroe, Eala is a ray of light for the tennis world.
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“I’ll start by saying the sky’s the limit for her,” said McEnroe, responding to a question from Tennis365 in his role as a Eurosport and HBO Max analyst at the US Open.
“In tennis you need the full package. You need the movement you need, you know, that’s obviously extremely important in tennis with men and the women.
“Is she a great athlete? Yes, but to be that A-plus, that’s where you get found out if you are not at that level.
“Not everyone’s tall like (Elena) Rybakina or (Aryna) Sabalenka. Not everyone is as fast as Coco Gauff. That’s the type of thing that would bring Eala to the next level. of thing like bring her, excuse me, bring her to the next level.”
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