"I don't want to hear any of that, nope this is a movement": Alexandra Eala backed by Andy Roddick amid criticisms of Eala Mania

Friday, 17 July 2026 at 14:00

Andy Roddick is well and truly feeling the effect of Eala Mania and has called on the doubters to pipe down amid her run at Wimbledon where she reached the latter stages after defeating Iga Swiatek en route.

Eala has often been in the public gaze from being in the Rafael Nadal Academy to then having her breakout at the 2025 Miami Open. A result that saw her beat Swiatek for the first time. She rose from World No.140 to World No.75.

The left-hander brings a legion of fans with her who often queue outside smaller courts in order to see her play. A country who are hugely passionate but have not had the player to get behind now have.

Eala Mania well and truly upon us

The 21-year-old has steadily risen up the rankings since then. She has sealed WTA 125 final wins over Panna Udvardy in Guadalajara and Nikola Bartunkova in Birmingham. The latter just a month ago. But despite this, she has not had a breakout.

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The closest being the run at Wimbledon. Supporters in the Philippines had public watch parties at 10,000 seater stadiums such as the Philsports Arena. She also met with members of the government and was lauded as a hero when returning home. Roddick described it as a movement and said that he is well and truly on the Eala Mania bandwagon.

He also doesn't want to hear any conjecture against it and that it is a movement no matter what people say. “Eala Mania is fun. I’m sorry, when you have watch parties in arenas around your country for a fourth round match, I’m in. Free popcorn," said Roddick on Served.

“Like, where you live, whatever the biggest venue is close to you, imagine having watch parties for a fourth round match at Wimbledon and having no room. I am here for Eala Mania.

Eala Mania is upon us.

“It’s great for tennis. I don’t want to hear any of that b****** like, oh, okay, stop talking. Nope, this is a movement. She is creating, single-handedly, a movement of a sect of tennis fandom that largely didn’t exist a couple of years ago. Thank you.”

Roddick also added that she is bringing new fans by herself and should be lauded as a result. Of course with a big run in mind which could send the sport skyrocketing to new heights.

“It was a fun story when she broke out of Miami. We wanted more of it. She’s top 30, beating players at majors.

“It went from a fun story to a very real story and a phenomenon, and we should all grab it, embrace it, love it, shake it, be thankful for it. She is single-handedly bringing more fans into tennis in a very committed and passionate way. It’s a real spike.”

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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