Alex Eala expressed her gratitude to the Filipino fans in Canada who came out to support her in her opening match at the 2026 Canadian Open at the Sobeys Stadium in Toronto on Wednesday, August 5 (Canada time).
The Filipina tennis star defeated American tennis player Alycia Parks to advance to the next round of the tournament.
"There are so many Filipinos in the crowd tonight, so many flags. Thank you!" Alex remarked during her post-match interview.
She then thanked the Filipino community for consistently supporting her in tournaments around the world.
"I am eternally grateful. I just came off Washington, so I really feel like this is a celebration, and alam niyo, kababayan, linggo-linggo ko kayo nakikita, [sinusuportahan] ako. Linggo-linggo ko nakikita kung gaano niyo kamahal ang kapwa niyong Pinoy, kaya proud na proud na proud na proud ako rin na maging Pinoy. Maraming salamat, mga kababayan. Mahal ko kayong lahat," she remarked.
Alex also expressed her appreciation to everyone who helped create a memorable atmosphere during the match.
"Thank you, everybody who is here tonight. Thank you to everyone who is supporting tennis and creating atmospheres like this. It is really the pleasure of my life to experience these things," she stated.
Following the victory, Alex advanced to the third round of the 2026 Canadian Open.
Her first match victory in Toronto came shortly after she captured her first WTA Tour title at the 2026 Mubadala DC Open. Alex rallied from a set down to defeat American world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the final.
How much did Alex Eala earn after winning the DC Open final?
The historic victory made Alex the first Filipino tennis player to win a WTA Tour singles title.
Her breakthrough run also propelled her eight places to a career-high world No. 20 in the latest PIF WTA Rankings after earning 500 ranking points. With the achievement, she became the first Filipina to enter the WTA Top 20.