Earlier this week, Alex Eala defeated World No. 3 Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the Mubadala DC Open final. The victory earned her the honor of being the first player from the Philippines to win a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour title.
Now, the new World No. 20 turns her eyes to the Canadian Open, where she’s looking to keep the momentum going—just earlier today, she bested American Alycia Parks in a three-set thriller 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 to win her first match of the tournament.
It’s safe to say that Eala mania is reaching fever pitch with no signs of slowing down. Still, she isn’t the only one serving in Toronto, with a special adobo taking over the taste buds of everyone in attendance.
READ: Alex Eala powers past Jessica Pegula for first WTA title in Washington
Changeover Kitchen, one of the tournament’s food and beverage vendors, offered the signature Filipino dish, chicken adobo, ahead of her opening match against Parks, replacing their chicken teriyaki rice bowl for the day.
A Filipino flag was also displayed at Changeover Kitchen as several of Eala’s supporters flocked in support of the rising star. Journalist and former tennis player Dyan Castillejo was also in attendance and was seen trying the CAD17 (roughly P738) rice bowl.
Thanks to her supporters, Eala has undoubtedly brought a new level of passion and intensity to tennis that the sport sees only among star players. Now, she has the results to back up the hype, while still showing signs of improvement between tournaments.
Who else would have a menu item changed in their honor? That’s Eala for you, and she’s far from finished.
