Alex Eala recently made history after becoming the first Filipino tennis player to win a WTA singles title. The feat came at the Mubadala DC Open, and since then, conversations surrounding her Filipino roots have taken center stage. On Tuesday, during her NBO pre-tournament press conference, Eala spoke about her relationship with Filipino-Canadian star Leylah Fernandez, revealing that the two share a unique bond since Fernandez is half Filipino through her mother.

Eala dethroned Leylah Fernandez from her singles DC title in the round of 16, after the 21-year-old Eala committed only four unforced errors, compared to Fernandez, who had an unfortunate 14. Eala bagged a 6-2, 7-6(1) win, and despite the victory, Eala spoke highly of Fernandez and, during her NBO press conference, said that she gets along really well with Fernandez and other stars with a Filipino background.

“My relationship with Leylah is pretty good. I think we’re friends. No, we’re friends (laughing). She’s a really great person.”

“I have not really dove into her, how you say, heritage or ethnicity. I know she’s half Filipino through her mother. It’s really nice to see, I do connect quite well with people of Filipino heritage on tour. Most notably, Sab Santamaria or Desirae. But, yeah, I think it’s really nice to have people who kind of know a little bit about the culture.”

Fernandez’s father, Jorge Fernandez, is from Ecuador and served as her tennis coach for a while, and her mother, Irene Fernandez, is of Filipino-Canadian nationality.

On Monday, Eala captured her maiden Mubadala DC Open title by beating world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, claiming a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 win. Days later, the Filipina landed in Toronto to begin a promising singles and doubles campaign at the National Bank Open. Eala received a main-draw doubles wild card along with Venus Williams, and the duo will begin their campaign against Miyu Kato and Liudmila Samsonova on Thursday.

Alex Eala Talks About Her Expectations to Experience Massive Filipino Support in Toronto

Toronto is home to a large Filipino community, and it is no surprise that Alex Eala would expect to be cheered on by a home crowd after stepping into the Sobey’s Stadium.

During the Canadian Open press conference, when asked about her expectations, Eala optimistically predicted a warm response on the opening day and promised to leave them with something special.

“I’ve been told that it’s going to be a full house tomorrow, so I’m really very excited to see and experience the atmosphere. It’s nice to see, you know, that the Filipino community is really showing up and they’re enjoying tennis, and hopefully it will help grow the sport as well.

“You know, in the end, I hope to give them something, a new experience and a joyful experience.”

The 21-year-old will begin her singles campaign against America’s Alycia Parks on Thursday at the Canadian Open, while Leylah Fernandez is also set to appear at her home grounds and take on Renata Zarazua in the second round.