How Alex Eala’s Wimbledon run made everyday Filipinos fall in love with tennis

Chasing her dream of becoming a world tennis champion, teen athlete Maristella Torrecampo and her father took a gruelling 13-hour bus from her sleepy hillside hometown for her latest match in Manila.

The 14-year-old’s mum and four siblings could not join to watch her play; her crowdfunded budget was only enough for two round-trip bus tickets and a few days’ worth of meals.

Barely rested from the long journey, and with only her father cheering her on, Torrecampo crushed her Omani opponent in straight sets 6-1, 6-1 on that sweltering Tuesday afternoon at the Rizal Stadium, keeping alive her dream of following in the footsteps of Alexandra Eala, the country’s newest sports star.

Torrecampo competed in Manila in July as the Philippines was celebrating Eala’s historic Wimbledon run – one that Torrecampo and the entire nation followed on streaming and social media.

Eala, 21, went the farthest any Filipina had gone in a Grand Slam event, reaching the fourth round and eliminating defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland along the way.

Since her breakout semi-final performance at the Miami Open last year, Eala has re-ignited interest in tennis in the Philippines, a country obsessed with the three B’s – basketball, boxing and beauty queens.

To young tennis players like Torrecampo, Eala is an inspiration.

“Like Ate Alex, I want to win at Wimbledon, WTA, and various tournaments around the world,” Torrecampo said, referring to Eala with the Filipino word for elder sister.