Hues of royal blue, red, white, and yellow flashed at every corner of the tennis court as the crowd rallied around Alexandra Eala.
For a sport constantly looking for the next generational icon, Eala has become a unifying touchstone for an archipelagic nation of over 110 million people – with many of them scattered across the globe.
The left-handed Filipina player had a whirlwind breakout season after defeating several top women’s stars. She ousted defending Wimbledon title holder Iga Świątek in the third round of the grass court major this summer. In August, she then beat Jessica Pegula in the Washington Open to become the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour singles title.
