Alex Eala defeated Sorana Cirstea 7-5, 6-4, to book her place in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
As usual, Eala’s fans were in fine voice!
Filipino flags were scattered around the stadium, as the 20-year-old produced another fine performance to set up a mouthwatering quarterfinal clash with Coco Gauff.
Who wins between Coco Gauff and Alex Eala?
They face each other in the Dubai quarterfinal today
However, while Eala’s ever-growing fanbase has had a largely positive impact on tennis, they didn’t cover themselves in glory on Thursday night…
Cheering missed first serves and errors from Cirstea, some fans crossed the line, and that needs to stop.
Disrespectful Alex Eala fans need to behave better
Tennis is a sport rooted in respect.
When a player misses a serve, first or second, cheering is frowned upon.
As is celebrating a wild, unforced error.
Or making noise while the point is still being played.
A large section of Eala’s fanbase failed to follow all the above ‘rules’ during her third-round win over Cirstea.
They crossed the proverbial line on several occasions, which forced the umpire to intervene.
He asked the fans in attendance to show respect throughout the match, and his tone by the end of their third-round clash told you all you needed to know about what he thought.
The constant cheers frustrated the umpire and Cirstea…
Alexandra Eala will finish 2026 ranked — in the world
Fill in the blanks!
That’s not to say all of Eala’s fans were disrespectful, though, as many cheered on both players.
It is, however, important to recognise that many of Eala’s fans are new to tennis.
The 20-year-old is the only Filipino tennis star there’s ever been, introducing many in the nation to the sport for the very first time.
Therefore, it’s probably unfair to expect them to know how to behave correctly at all times.
It’s going to take time, and it would be unfair to suggest they aren’t trying.
Ahead of the first-ever WTA event in the Philippines earlier this year, the tournament’s official Instagram account shared several posts explaining tennis rules.
‘What are the five most common tennis shots’, How tennis scores work’, and ‘What is a hard court’ were all questions they answered.
In addition to those posts, the tournament shared the following message about ‘tennis etiquette’ on Instagram:
Do’s
- Stay quiet during play. Players need to focus during rallies.
- Clap respectfully. Celebrate great shots once the ball is out of play.
- Keep phones silent. Switch off ringtones and notifications before the match.
- Take photos responsibly. Turn off flash and shutter sounds.
- Move at the right time. Leave or return to your seat only during changeovers or breaks.
Don’ts
- Don’t talk while the ball is in play. Even whispering can be distracting to players.
- Don’t cheer mistakes. Applaud skills, not errors.
- Don’t use selfie sticks. They block the view and can distract the players.
The rules might seem obvious to long-time fans of the sport, but it can be a lot to take in for someone new to tennis.
That excuse won’t hold up for long, though, and Eala risks the wider tennis world turning against her if the Filipino fans can’t get it right.
What could happen to Alex Eala if fans don’t start behaving with respect
Right now, Eala is beloved by most fans around the world.
However, that won’t be the case if this continues…
Fans can turn quickly, and they will if the consensus is that the Filipinos are disrespecting Eala’s opponents.
If you need evidence of that point, look at what happened with Joao Fonseca.
Just like Eala, Fonseca’s Brazilian fans showed up in numbers for his matches last year.
Filling stadiums, the Brazilians pushed too far at times, cheering opponents’ mistakes.
The public perception of Fonseca remains relatively positive, but many have been turned off by the disrespect some Brazilians have shown to his rivals.
Fonseca and Eala are two of the brightest prospects in tennis and have both grown large fan bases.
It would be a shame for Eala to suffer the same fate as Fonseca and lose fans because of the actions of a select few.
Only time will tell if Eala’s fans can turn things around.
They’ll have a chance to prove themselves when Eala takes on Gauff in the quarterfinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Thursday, February 19.
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