Loyal fans create 'home' vibes for rising stars

Even in defeat, Alexandra Eala’s fans took over the Australian Open.

- Matthew Futterman

On the afternoon of Jan 19 in Melbourne, lines snaked around Court 6 and food courts turned into fan zones, with thousands of people lining up to get a glimpse of the 20-year-old Eala, who has become a sporting avatar for the Philippines since her run to the semifinals of the 2025 Miami Open, where she beat three Grand Slam champions.

Her fans roared her through a 6-0 first set against Alycia Parks of the US, and they cheered her off after Parks came back to win in three sets.

A day later, it was Indonesia’s Janice Tjen who had her chance for a star turn, at the closest thing she and Eala have to a home Grand Slam.

“I’m having that feeling,” Tjen, 23, said with a warm grin on Jan 20 after beating Canadian No. 22 seed Leylah Fernandez in straight sets.

The court rocked with chants of “O Canada” and cascading moments of “Let’s go, Leylah!” and “Let’s go, Janice!” At times, the match felt more like a rowdy football duel between two small clubs in a tight, tense ground.

The cacophonous support for Eala and Tjen is shared by many other players in the draw, an illustration of how diaspora communities from countries that do not get many opportunities to cheer on one of their own on a tennis court show up at the sport's biggest events.