Learning from Melbourne, PSC prepared for Alex Eala crowd

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Pato Gregorio.

The queue that persisted at Melbourne Park hours before Alex Eala took the court for her first match in the Australian Open had tennis officials and foreign media outlets bewildered and surprised—with some calling out organizers for not fully realizing the Filipino star’s drawing power.

For Philippine Sports Commission chair Pato Gregorio, it was a timely eye-opener.

“We saw the reaction of the crowd in Melbourne,” Gregorio said on Thursday. “And they gave us an idea that the fans are just so excited. They will wait for hours just to watch Alex. Or just to catch a glimpse of Alex.”

“So we’re prepared for that.”

The PSC is overseeing several renovations of several facilities at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, including the tennis center, which will host the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open, a WTA 125 tournament that will give a chance to watch Eala in action in the flesh.

In Melbourne, droves of fans had to be turned away before the start of Eala’s match, which was assigned to the smaller Court 6.

The tennis center at Rizal Memorial was equipped with an additional 2,000 seats, with another 600 ready to be deployed in case the demand for tickets increases further.

Sold out

Gregorio said this early, tickets had already been sold out.

“If we can’t do anything anymore, we’re prepared to put up an LED wall at the baseball field,” he said. “If I show you the request for tickets, it’s like I can’t breathe anymore.”

“But it’s a good problem. Everyone’s excited. The athletes are excited. Young kids who are into tennis are excited.”

Gregorio said the PSC is taking advantage of the opportunity to strengthen the country’s relationship with the WTA and he hopes this will lead to a revitalized tennis program in the country.

“We want to grow the WTA [tournament] in the country,” he said. “For now, it’s 125. Next year, maybe 250. In 2028, it could be 500 or 1,000.”

Gregorio was referring to how the WTA classifies its tournaments, based on the ranking points available for the tournament champion. WTA 125 events, which the Philippine Women’s Open is classified as, normally feature rising standouts of the women’s professional tour.

WTA 1,000 tournaments are just a step below Grand Slam events.

“I’m sure you all know it isn’t just Alex who will be interesting to watch,” Gregorio said. “There are a lot of world-class tennis players who will compete.”