Alex Eala's coach makes honest admission about fan support after remarkable rise in 2026

Alex Eala has become Tennis' newest heroine, and the Philippines-born 21-year-old sensation can't believe how much support she's been given.

Starting the year outside of the top 50 in the rankings, Eala has won the Birmingham Challenger and continued to cause upsets at Wimbledon before winning her first WTA title at the Washington Open.

Smashing records along the way, netting herself some astronomical prizes and sponsorship deals with Nike, the young breakout star continues to make a huge impact on the sport, following in the footsteps of a handful of new female tennis pioneers.

Now, the world number 18 has amassed a huge following at events and on social media, becoming the first Filipino woman to enter the top 20 and win a tour title.

Eala’s coach, Joan Bosch, has admitted that the team ‘never thought’ that she would receive the overwhelming support, but claims that she is thrilled and enjoys every moment of fan interaction.

“We could never think this would be like this,” Bosch said in comments on Tennis365.

“We are super happy with the way that the Filipino community and fans are. Everywhere we go, they are there. This morning on the plane, we found a few Filipinos; they went from Washington to see Alex in Toronto again.

“It’s so nice to see how they really believe in her and how they have this passion on the court when she is playing.

“The court in Toronto was full every day when she was playing. For us, it is even sometimes scary, because it’s tough to always have the best level.

“This was a tough week for Alex because she won in Washington, she played the final on Monday, and we just travelled on Tuesday. It was not easy to handle. I am happy that she could do two good matches in the first two matches.”

The win in Washington has quickly seen Eala be compared to boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, as she claimed that he 'paved the way' for her and like-minded South-East Asian athletes.

"He is such a legend and has done so much for us Filipino athletes to pave the way," Eala said when asked about the similarities.

"The feeling he gave us was great… and my journey can give similar things. It is very flattering."

Pacquiao praised the 21-year-old in a social media post after her historic WTA win in Washington.

"To Alex Eala, congratulations on your victory. Thank you for bringing honour to our country. We are cheering for you. We are proud of you,” he wrote.

Eala has now played more Tennis than anyone else on the WTA tour, but has smashed her own record time after time, in regard to selling out tickets.

Her Canadian Open fixture against Alycia Parks completely sold out within two hours of tickets going live, which was a quicker feat than any WTA match in history, beating previous matches including Serena Williams.

The pressure is being relished too, as she claimed it is 'fun' to have such expectations on her shoulders.

""I think it can be both. There are moments where it's heavy. There are moments where it's fun,” she said in a press conference.

“But at the end of the day, I am also aware that it's a crazy experience, so I'm just trying to take it all in. I also know that I wouldn't be having these experiences if I didn't do all the work that I did beforehand. So I know that I won't continue to experience it if I don't continue that work.”