‘Laban Alex’: From a nation obsessed with basketball and boxing, where the sports heroes are mostly men, Filipina Alex Eala is creating her own fandom at the US Open.

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines gestures after winning her match against Oleksandra Oliynyk. (AP photo) The Alex Eala phenomenon is getting louder in Flushing Meadows — and remarkably, it’s no longer confined to the wrestling ring.Hours before the Filipino star was due to begin her US Open campaign, the practice courts were already packed with fans, many of them without tickets to her evening match. They arrived with Philippine flags, wearing blue caps emblazoned with “Laban Alex” — a shout meaning “Fight, Alex” — and turned a routine training session into something resembling a major sporting spectacle.They watched every forehand and backhand, recorded her serves and volleys on their phones and cheered as if Eala was already competing for a Grand Slam title.That’s the extent of the fandom the 21-year-old has created in a country where basketball and boxing have traditionally dominated the sporting landscape and where many of the sport’s biggest heroes have been men.Eala is changing that conversation.Her rise has not only given Filipino tennis fans a player to follow. She has created a new generation of fans who see themselves in a young woman competing – and succeeding – on one of the biggest stages in world sport.And as Eala continues to advance to the US Open, the buzz around her is only growing.

From a junior champion to one of the world’s rising stars

Four years ago, Eala announced herself to the tennis world in the same city.In 2022, she became the first Filipina to win a junior Grand Slam singles title when she lifted the girls’ singles trophy at the US Open. It was a landmark achievement for Philippine tennis at the time, but few could have imagined how quickly her profile would rise in the years to come.Her transition to the senior game has been gradual but increasingly spectacular.Last year, Eala gave the New York crowd a first glimpse of what she could become when she staged a remarkable comeback against then world No. 14 Clara Tauson. Down 1-5 in the deciding set, she battled back to win and sent the more than 8,000 spectators in the stands into a frenzy as Philippine flags flew around the stadium.It was more than a memorable victory. It was an example of the connection Eala has begun to build with her country’s diaspora and with fans at home.She reached the second round of the US Open last year.Twelve months later, she is no longer just an exciting young player from the Philippines.She is the world number 18 and 17 in New York and returns to Flushing Meadows as one of the most talked about young players on the women’s tour.And this time she went one step further.

Alexander Eal (AP Photo)

Another breakthrough at Flushing Meadows

Eal’s latest run at the US Open began with a victory over American qualifier Mary Stoiana.She followed that up on Thursday by beating Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4 to book her place in the third round of the tournament for the first time.The victory also carried an element of redemption. Oliynyková defeated Eala in three sets at the Strasbourg Open in May, but this time there was no doubt about the result.Eala immediately took control and led 4-0 in the opening set. Even after Oliynyk was able to get on the light board with a break, Eala responded immediately to close out the set 6-1.Her first serve was particularly effective, with Eala winning 10 of 12 points behind him in the opening set.The second set was more competitive, but Eala repeatedly found decisive moments. After trading breaks, she created another break in the seventh game and held her nerve to move within a game of victory.Oliynyk delayed the inevitable by holding serve, but Eala finished the job in the 10th game.The numbers reflected her authority. She hit 19 winners to Oliynyk’s six and never let the match get out of her control.Her reward is a third-round meeting with her close friend Iva Jovic, who defeated Fran Jones in straight sets.For Eala, it’s another significant marker in what has been a career-changing season.

Fans of Alexandra Eal (AP Photo)

The season that changed everything

The US Open is just the latest chapter in what has been an amazing 2026 for Eala.She reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam earlier this year and made history by becoming the first Filipina to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament.She then made perhaps the biggest statement of her career at Wimbledon when she defeated former world number one Iga Swiatek.And she went all the way in Washington.Eala recovered from a set down against Jessica Pegula in the final to become the first Filipina to win a WTA Tour singles title.This victory was historic on several levels. She became the first Filipina to win a singles title on the WTA Tour and rose to world number 18 soon after on 24 August.This made her the highest-ranked Filipino and Southeast Asian tennis player in WTA Tour history and the first Filipina to break into the world top 20.Her list of firsts kept growing: the first Filipina to beat a top 10 opponent, the first to reach the fourth round of a major, the first to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament, and now the first to win a WTA singles title.The trajectory explains why the spotlight around her in New York feels so different this year.

“Laban Alex” becomes a movement

The most striking evidence of Eala’s popularity is not necessarily to be found inside the stadium. It can be seen in practice courts.Fans traveled from all over the United States to watch her train. Some drove for hours. Others arrived without tickets, just hoping to catch a glimpse of her.For some Filipino-American fans, Eala made tennis personal in a way that few other players have.Her age, her background, her ability to speak Tagalog, and her unapologetic pride in representing the Philippines helped fans identify with her.Some fans who never considered themselves serious tennis followers started watching the sport because of Eale. Families started watching her matches together. Older fans traveled to New York with Philippine flags, while younger fans made “Laban Alex” their own soundtrack for her matches.It’s a distinctly Filipino expression of sports support—emotional, communal, and increasingly impossible to ignore.Ealy’s achievements also resonate because Filipinos have historically rallied strongly around athletes who have broken through on the international scene.The country’s pride in Olympic champions such as gymnast Carlos Yulo showed how quickly an individual sporting achievement can become a national celebration.Something similar is now being created by Eala in tennis. The difference is that her story is still being written.

The next chapter could be even bigger

Eala was careful to keep the focus in perspective.Her rapid rise has brought her into the company of some of the biggest names in tennis, including former champions and world no. Partnering and training with players like Venus Williams and Naomi Osaka gave her the opportunity to learn from the history of the sport while experiencing first-hand what it means to stay at the top level.Her success also forced the tennis world to take notice.Former players and analysts have praised the improvement in her game, especially over the past year, while marveling at the size and intensity of the crowds she draws.At just 21 years old, Eala is already a junior Grand Slam champion, a WTA tournament winner, a top 20 player and a player capable of beating the best.Yet perhaps the most remarkable part of her US Open story is that the tournament itself seems to be growing with her.Four years ago, she was a junior champion and celebrated her first major breakthrough. Last year, it was a young Filipina who stunned Tauson to reach the second round. This year, she returned as a seeded player in the world ranking of twenty.She has now advanced to the third round.And around her, Philippine flags proliferate, practice courts fill up, and chants of “Laban Alex” grow louder.