Jessica Pegula Praises Alexandra Eala's Ability to Draw Massive Filipino Crowds

The American star echoes Coco Gauff's sentiments about the young Filipino player's growing fanbase.

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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American tennis player Jessica Pegula has praised fellow WTA Tour star Alexandra Eala's ability to draw massive crowds of Filipino fans to her matches. Pegula echoed similar sentiments made by Coco Gauff about Eala's popularity, noting the overwhelming support the 20-year-old Filipino player receives from her home country. Pegula highlighted Eala's impact on growing the sport's popularity, calling her a strong role model for young girls, especially in the Philippines.

Why it matters

Eala's rising stardom and ability to attract large, passionate crowds of Filipino fans to her matches underscores her growing influence in the sport. As one of the WTA Tour's fastest-rising talents, Eala's success is helping to drive increased interest and participation in tennis, particularly among young people in the Philippines.

The details

Eala has firmly established herself as one of the WTA Tour's top young players, with a career-high ranking of No. 40 and consistent performances in recent tournaments, including quarterfinal finishes in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Pegula, the reigning Dubai champion, praised Eala's maturity and grace in handling the overwhelming support she receives from Filipino fans, who have packed stadiums to cheer her on. Pegula also reflected on her own experience playing Eala at the 2025 Miami Open, where the Filipino player's large contingent of supporters made Pegula feel like she was the away player.

  • Eala opened the 2026 season with a semifinal run in Auckland and a quarterfinal finish at the WTA 125 event in Manila.
  • Eala reached the quarterfinals in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai in 2026.
  • Eala and Pegula first met in the semifinals of the 2025 Miami Open.

The players

Jessica Pegula

An American professional tennis player who is currently ranked No. 5 in the world. She recently won the WTA 1000 event in Dubai.

Alexandra Eala

A 20-year-old Filipino professional tennis player who has firmly established herself as one of the WTA Tour's fastest-rising talents. She has a career-high ranking of No. 40 and has consistently performed well in recent tournaments.

Coco Gauff

An American professional tennis player who recently praised the energy and enthusiasm of Eala's Filipino fans during their match in Dubai.

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What they’re saying

“Alex is amazing! Hopefully she is the next podcast guest and we can get to know her and talk to her more. But the way she has been able to pack stadiums and the way that her country supports her is something special. And she handles it so maturely and with so much grace. She just feels so appreciative of all the support she gets.”

— Jessica Pegula, World No. 5 tennis player

“And always seems to have a head on her shoulders and a good attitude about it. And it's amazing. I played her when she kind of broke out last year in Miami. And I am from there and the whole crowd was against me and I was like 'What on earth is going on?' Like 'Where did these people come from?' She added.”

— Jessica Pegula, World No. 5 tennis player

“And week after week, she has done well and established herself as a really good player on tour, they all come out to support her and exactly we saw that in Australia, when it was over crowded and they put her on too small of a court. We saw it here, you could here it from the hotel and you could here the crowd roaring, specially at night.”

— Jessica Pegula, World No. 5 tennis player

What’s next

Pegula has expressed interest in having Eala as a guest on her podcast to get to know her better and discuss her rising stardom and the impact she is having on the sport.

The takeaway

Eala's ability to draw massive crowds of passionate Filipino fans to her matches is a testament to her growing popularity and influence in the sport of tennis. As a strong role model for young girls, especially in the Philippines, Eala's success is helping to drive increased interest and participation in the game, which is great for the overall growth and development of the sport.