Alexandra Eala looks to break attendance record set by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

Tuesday, 03 November 2026 at 04:30

Alexandra Eala ends her season this week, but she will play in this season as she plays an exhibition in the Philippines. She will face off against Janice Tjen, and it could draw more than 51,954 spectators, which was the record set by Federer and Nadal in South Africa.

The match could draw up to 55,000 spectators, which would break the record set by Federer and Nadal in South Africa in 2020 with 51,964 fans.

'Alex Eala Live: Game. Set. Celebrate' will take place in Bulacan at the 52,000 arena which organises Tatler Philippines. They are hoping that will draw a huge and record sell-out crowd.

She plays in the Hong Kong Open on Tuesday morning when she takes on Alycia Parks. She hopes to add a third title of the year to her CV, which now includes a WTA 500 title.

Eala came from a set down to beat Jessica Pegula in August at the Washington Open for the biggest title of her career. She reached the semi-finals of the Miami Open back in 2025. Victory in Washington saw her reach the top 20, while despite this, she at best reached the Last 16 at Wimbledon.

She enters the Hong Kong Open as the world No. 17; this is the highest ranking for a Southeast Asian woman in WTA history alongside her landmark run at Wimbledon.

"Every time I play abroad, I carry the Philippines with me," said a statement from Eala.

"To come home and play in front of our fans will be incredibly special. I want this to be a day where we celebrate our love for tennis, our culture and the young players who will take the sport forward.

"And if all of us come together, maybe we can make a little history too."

Rusedski is optimistic of Eala-mania paying dividends

Former World No. 4 Greg Rusedski expressed optimism about the record being broken. It shows the effect of Eala, which has been coined as Eala Mania, which sees the stadiums often packed out.

"I think they're going to sell out every ticket. When she went to Toronto after winning Washington, the tournament was sold out by Monday. You just have to look at the region where she's holding her exhibition.

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"The stadium will be full, and that's great for tennis. We saw the same thing with Federer's tour in South America and Mexico, where stadiums were packed week after week. It's fantastic for our sport. I hope they reach 55,000 spectators and set a new record."

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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