Filipina tennister Alex Eala thanks Filipino supporters in Dubai after her semifinals finish in the W100 tournament.
Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala experienced the closest thing to a home tournament as she competed in the W100 Dubai at the United Arab Emirates last week, marking the end of her 2024 tournament.
Even though Eala is miles away from home here in Manila, there were scores of supporters who flocked to cheer on the 19-year-old.
A lot of Filipinos end up working in the Middle East, like the UAE. And with a chance to watch a compatriot compete in high-level sport, Eala's kababayans just couldn’t miss out.
On social media, Eala thanked her fellow Pinoys that caught the action live in Dubai, where she ended up as a semifinalist.
[RELATED: Alex Eala wraps up 2024 season with semis stint in Dubai tiff in semis]
“Couldn’t go all the way here in Dubai, but still a strong way to end the year with a semifinal finish. Salamat sa lahat ng mga kababayan na dumalaw para mag-suporta sa akin.” she said.
The post featured photos with fans, which inspired Eala so much that it felt like she was playing in the Philippines.
“Ang suwerte kong naramdaman na para akong naglaro sa Pinas.” said the 19-year-old.
Eala has been bannering the Philippines in tennis tournaments worldwide, both in the ITF and WTA Tours. But recently, she also saw action in the Billie Jean King Cup in Bahrain where she helped Team Philippines achieve promotion to Group II in the Asia/Oceania Zone.
[RELATED: Alex Eala relishes leading Team Philippines to BJK Cup promotion in Bahrain]
Now with her 2024 season wrapped up, Eala is expected to get some R&R in the Philippines before returning to action early next year.