Once it grows, it cannot be stopped" - tennis superstar-in-the-making Alex Eala is quickly becoming the biggest thing to come out of the Philippines since legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao. The 21-year-old is carrying the hopes of a nation, the volume of support when she plays calling to mind the days when world boxing champion 'Pac Man' put the country on the map as a sporting force.

Few young players on the WTA Tour have experienced the level of expectation and support Eala has received since she earned a place on the circuit, and she showed what all the fuss is about by winning the recent Washington Open. After a run to the fourth round of Wimbledon, which included a victory over defending champion Iga Swiatek, Eala capped her breakthrough in the US capital by rallying to defeat top seed Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-4 6-0 in a rain-interrupted final, becoming the first woman from her country to claim a tour-level singles crown.

Along the way, she beat Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, last year's winner Leylah Fernandez, second seed Elina Svitolina and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. Her remarkable run of victories mark her down out as a dangerous outsider for the US Open, starting August 30 - live on Sky Sports.

Eala's progress has been closely watched since her US Open junior triumph in 2022, and she reached the Eastbourne final last year before making the fourth round at Wimbledon - signalling a steady improvement. As Eala's reputation grew, so too did her following, with large groups of Filipino fans packing the stands at tournaments around the world to back a player many see as a pioneer for tennis in their country.