Maryland-based Sam Jamero and his daughter Samantha Kei were there in the stands, a tennis ball’s throw away from Alexandra Eala, when the 21-year-old began her campaign to become the first-ever Filipino to win a WTA 500 title at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington, DC. Here is Sam’s first-person view of her matches against Leylah Fernandez and Naomi Osaka.
Text and photos by Sam Jamero
I’ve been on the Alex Eala bandwagon since her breakout tournament in last year’s Miami Open. Back then, she was just a wildcard entry and ranked world #140 in women’s singles. Despite the odds, she beat top notch players and reached the semi-final against Jessica Pegula, who was ranked world #4 at the time. Although Eala lost in that match, I became a follower of hers.
To be honest, I’m not a fan of tennis. I’ve always been a diehard basketball fan. But what really got me hooked into tennis was Alex. She embodies the characteristics that everybody loves. She is genuinely humble and at the same time, proud of being Filipino. In most of her post-match interviews, she almost always speaks in Tagalog. She is amazing not only on court but off court as well. The way she represents herself is so inspiring.
So, when we found out Alex would be in the main draw of the Mubadala DC Open, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity of seeing her in person. I lived in Maryland, and the tournament was practically happening in our own backyard!
Still, securing tickets was a game of chance. Tournament organizers released the schedules the day before the actual games. But tickets nearly double in price when Alex is guaranteed to play. We originally assumed she would play on the first day of the main draw, a Monday. But I told my daughter we should get tickets to her next match instead, confident she would make it to the next round of play on Wednesday. Our chances of seeing her play got slimmer when we found out that her first match got moved to Tuesday. The gamble continued as we had to decide whether to buy tickets for the day or evening session. Ultimately, we decided on purchasing Wednesday day session tickets, knowing that either you buy cheaper tickets early or buy expensive tickets later when players are confirmed to play. Long story short, we bought the tickets early and the gamble paid off. We got the right tickets at the price of $165 each (for Alex’s first match in the round of 16 vs Leylah Fernandez). Tiwala lang talaga (We just had to have faith).
Come playday for the round of 16 match, we went to the venue early so as to secure parking. It was a 45-minute drive from our home, with my daughter Samantha Kei driving her 2021 Subaru Crosstrek. So you can call that our “Kei-car” (pun intended).
We were so excited to be there, we were the second earliest in line. A Pinoy couple from Virginia beat us to first place. Talk about negating the notorious “Filipino time,” Alex has that kind of star power.
It was our first time to watch a professional sporting event live, and it involved our very own countryman about to make history in a sport our race is not known for, in a country that has produced so many tennis legends. So, to show that this one match really mattered to us Pinoys now based in the United States, we didn’t come empty-handed. We brought a cardboard fan sign. I wore a DIY shirt that had a hand-printed “MubadEALA DC Open 2026,” while my daughter wore her bright-red Filipinana outfit. I got a couple of compliments for my shirt, but my daughter got most of the attention.
In the stadium, we were seated beside ABS-CBN sports reporter Dyan Castillejo, herself a Pinoy tennis sensation in the ‘80s and the first Pinoy to earn a WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) ranking. We chatted with her a bit. But once the game started, all eyes were on the two competitors on the court, and all our hearts were with the player in green.
The atmosphere was electric. Filipino fans were energetic. And loud. It was a battle of two lefties. But in the end, Alex beat the defending champion Leylah Fernandez in straight sets. Listening to the large Pinoy crowd in the stands shouting, cheering for Alex brought me back to those days back in Manila when we were watching standing-room-only PBA games. It felt like home again. We were a loud and proud community.
We felt more of that fiesta-like Pinoy energy during the semifinal match between Alex and 4-time Grand Slam singles champ Naomi Osaka. Maybe because the tickets cost more (we paid $250 each this time). We chose seats close to the player entrance so we could ask Alex to autograph our cardboard sign as she exited after the game.
This was the first time Alex would be facing off against Naomi, who was also very popular. But Alex was simply unstoppable at this point, winning in straight sets, again. A dominant performance. Naomi couldn’t find an answer to Alex’s tenacity and resilience. She was becoming true to her now-famous motto: “Kapag lumago, hindi na hihinto (Once it grows, it cannot be stopped).”
How I wish I and Samantha were there when Alex finally broke the Mubadala Open by winning over Jessica Pegula and hoisting her first-ever WTA 500 trophy. But witnessing her mastery of the game combined with her brilliant personality—in two heart-pounding matches—gave this father and daughter enough core memories to bond with and be proud of for the rest of our lives.
More than anything, watching Alex live in action was an incredible experience that instilled pride and joy in being Filipino. She stands tall, literally and figuratively, but her feet are very much grounded in humility and gratitude.
Because of Alex Eala, the Filipino community here in Washington, DC and other nearby areas are actually standing taller, prouder, and feeling more empowered to show their true Pinoy colors.
Know more about the WTA by visiting its official website https://www.wtatennis.com/.