The Calm Before Eala-Mania Hits Toronto

Only a week into the North American hard-court swing and Alexandra Eala is already creating a buzz.

The Filipina went on a remarkable run in Washington, beating Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng and defending champion Leylah Annie Fernandez in her first two matches. The 21-year-old then took down the top three seeds en route to her maiden WTA title.

Eala also had to battle through a rain delay in Sunday’s final, which caused a halt in play after she dropped the opening set, eventually forcing the match to continue into Monday. The world No. 20 rallied to secure the title but now, as she landed in Toronto the next day, the focus quickly shifts to her debut in the Ontario capital.

“It's been an amazing 24 hours for me. Of course, so many emotions, so many things to process, and processing the transition from one tournament to another. I'm very excited to reset and be here in Toronto for the first time,” Eala said in a press conference on Aug. 4 after arriving in Toronto.

The Filipina’s opener will be Wednesday night on Centre Court against Alycia Parks. Tickets were sold out almost the moment Eala’s match time was announced. This comes after her Washington final, which was sold out within an hour of her reaching the title match.

“I've been told that it's going to be a full house tomorrow, so I'm very excited to see and experience the atmosphere,” Eala said. “It's nice to see that the Filipino community is really showing up and they're enjoying tennis, and hopefully it will help grow the sport as well. In the end, I hope to give them something, a joyful experience.”

Eala also made headlines following her confirmed partnership with Venus Williams for doubles, as the pair received a main-draw wildcard for the event.

“I'm really excited to be playing doubles with her again. I said last week that every opportunity I get to share the court with her is super cherished because she’s got a great mentality and there's so much I can learn from her,” the Washington champion said.

Eala and Williams will begin play on Thursday night against Miyu Kato and Liudmila Samsonova.

Kostyuk’s Kind Moment in Toronto

Canadians being nice isn’t just a stereotype. Prior to stepping out onto the court for her second-round contest, a young boy pulled a letter out of his pocket and handed it to Marta Kostyuk. The Ukrainian then couldn’t help but give the kid a hug for the heart-warming pre-match moment.

“I didn't open [the letter] yet. I was supposed to, but I was rushing to go to eat. I have it in my tennis bag,” Kostyuk said in her post-match press conference on Aug. 4. “When he gifted me [the letter], I was like, ‘wow, this is like the reason why we actually do it’, and it's very fulfilling and I'm happy I got to experience that today.”

Kostyuk won a tight opening set against Canadian Katherine Sebov then cruised to the finish line in the second. The world No. 11 has just two losses since the start of the clay season and looks to continue the great form on Thursday against Madison Keys in round three.

The WTA's best return to Toronto for the National Bank Open presented by Rogers Aug 1 to 13 at Sobeys Stadium. Get your tickets today!

Feature Photo : Barry McCluskey/Wick Photography for National Bank Open