Alex Eala Is the Most Popular Player in Tennis Right Now

And it's not even particularly close, as Monday at the Australian Open showed for the Filipina star.

MELBOURNE, Australia — The most remarkable moment on the second day of the Australian Open was not what happened on any of the courts, but what happened on Court 6’s periphery.

By acclamation of the throngs who waited in vain for a chance to see her on the ludicrously limited stage, 20-year-old Alex Eala of the Philippines was coronated as the most popular player in tennis right now.

Though she’s ranked only 49th, and was playing in the main draw of the Australian Open for the very first time, that crown is now hers, indisputably. Now, it’s just a question of how soon the tennis world realizes it and adjusts accordingly.

To read more on Eala’s sudden superstardom—including statistics, quotes from Eala and her opponent Alycia Parks, Filipino fans, a statement from Tennis Australia on its scheduling, and more in this 2,500-word article—please subscribe to Bounces! Pasasalamat!-Ben