“Saya pala dito sa barangay Toronto.”
That is what Filipina tennis star Alex Eala quipped when she wrote her message of gratitude dedicated to the Filipino community in Toronto, Canada, who showed their all-out support during her campaign at the National Bank Open 2026 (a.k.a. Canadian Open).
There, the 21-year-old was able to reach the competition’s Round of 16 in women’s singles and competed in the women’s doubles alongside Venus Williams.
Alex, who won the Mubadala DC Open in Washington, D.C. last week, told: “(It’s) difficult to put into words but very easy to be grateful for you all. Feeling the love in ways that I will probably only fully appreciate later.“
She added, “Thank you for allowing me to experience beyond what I know. I am quite the lucky one.”
During her Toronto campaign, Alex was able to defeat Alycia Parks and Caty McNally, but ended her journey after losing to Belinda Bencic in their Round of 16 match last Monday, August 10.
Her partnership with Venus Williams in the doubles also saw an early end after the duo fell to the tandem of Liudmila Samsonova and Miyu Kato.
Up next for Alex now is the Cincinnati Open in Ohio, USA, where she is seeded number 17 and has earned a first round bye, with he opponent yet to be determined.
