American tennis star Jessica Pegula said her loss to Alex Eala in the DC Open final unexpectedly won her thousands of new Filipino followers, with fans even subscribing to her podcast after the match.
"Filipino fans are insane," Pegula said in a post-match press conference in Toronto, Canada, when asked to comment on the new digital fan base she's getting.
After the Washington Open final, Filipino fans started to subscribe to Pegula's podcast.
"I don't know how many we ended up, but we definitely got, like, four or 5,000 more subscribers after that match," added Pegula, who lost Monday against the Filipina tennis star for her first WTA crown.
YouTube/Tennis Canada and National Bank Open
Pegula said she also felt the support of Filipino fans throughout the tournament, even after her matches.
"Even when I was like leaving the stadium, they're like cheering for me... like they're just excited to be there. There's just a lot of excitement. And so I think it's really cool that, maybe because she's been on our podcast before, that maybe they like me a little bit more and maybe I've gained some Filipino fans, but it's crazy, their presence," she said.
She added: "I hadn't really looked online much yet, but someone from our team did text us, there was a lot of like Filipino comments online and... just a lot more interaction with their fan base, especially through our podcast, which is pretty cool. I'm glad that they like to listen and follow, and I think that's really neat that it's crossed over."