Alex Eala’s growing star power draws US media attention

MANILA, Philippines–Filipino tennis star Alex Eala continues to be the talk of the town as her meteoric rise draws attention from some of the United States’ biggest publications.

Eala landed on the front page of The New York Times for its September 3 print issue, highlighting her impact on the Filipino community at home and overseas, particularly in Queens, where the US Open is being held.

READ: Alex Eala not taking for granted the love and support from fans

“But for Filipinos, she is not simply an ambassador for the sport. Her success is giving the country, a large, dispersed archipelago of more than 7,000 islands in Southeast Asia, as well as its diaspora, a reason to unite,” the article said.

Eala also landed an in-depth feature in Vogue, which highlighted the growing frenzy around the 21-year-old star and the Filipino fans who have followed her matches.

Forbes, meanwhile, noted Eala’s growing commercial value and projected that she could become one of the world’s highest-paid female athletes.

“I feel very confident that by 2027, she will be the second-highest-paid female athlete in the world, behind Coco [Gauff],” Max Eisenbud, head of client representation at WME Sports and its subsidiary IMG Tennis, was quoted as saying.

READ: Alex Eala’s many fans descend on US Open with PH flags and lots of love

She also graced the digital cover of Sports Illustrated, which dubbed her “tennis’s next great superstar,” while The New Yorker published a story on how Eala “became a symbol of the Philippines.”

The stories have highlighted Eala’s rise to prominence and how it has helped Filipinos once again find someone to rally behind, much like during the heyday of Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao.

Eala has been vocal about knowing what it means to carry the country wherever she goes, and fans have reciprocated that love by filling the stands during her tournaments.

“I think everybody represents something in their own way. I’m Filipino and I proudly represent that and a lot of the crowd here today is Filipino and I’m sure they share in that sentiment,” Eala said after her second-round victory at the US Open.

Eala continues her campaign in the last Grand Slam tournament of the season in the third round.

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