Alycia Parks pulled off a gritty comeback at the Australian Open against the Philippines teenager Alexandra Eala. After losing the opening set 0–6, the 25-year-old regrouped to take the match 6–3, 6–2 and book her place in the second round. But the match stood out for more than just the scoreline, as Parks was visibly emotional and broke down in tears during the contest.

Parks had to conquer not just her opponent across the net but also a flood of emotion of her own, brought forth by a crowd that made her feel overwhelmed. As reported by TNT Sports on X, the atmosphere on Court 6 was described as electric, where every Eala point triggered wild celebrations and chants of “Let’s go, Alex!” from a sea of Philippine flags. This made it difficult for Parks, and following that first set bagel, it made her cry.

“It was very difficult. It was like, I was expecting it, but I wasn’t. She definitely has a good crowd. I was just telling myself to stay in the zone and that I got to do what I got to do,” said the 25-year-old American tennis star, opening up about how intense it was with the crowd. “It definitely wasn’t the worst but in between first and second serves and the clapping when you miss, that’s just something I had to ignore and get used to the whole match,” she said.

The emotional toll was visible, but she didn’t let the crowd have full control of her. She fought back, and the results speak for her.

“I just kept telling myself to stay in the zone,” she said, confirming her mindset at the time on court. She began finding her powerful serve, which would eventually yield 12 aces, and seized an early break in the second set. Though Eala fought back to level at 3-3, Alycia Parks won the final three games of the set, silencing the roars of the Filipino crowd.

Talking about her comeback, she said, “I was just so focused on the crowd in the first set, which is why it went the way it went. I don’t know what my record is with crowds against me. It definitely puts a fire on me. I would say I’m good when the crowds are against me.”

So, in the final set, she was completely on fire, starting with a 2-0 lead. Eventually, Alycia Parks went on to secure her victory at the Australian Open, closing the third set 6-2. However, the support that Eala has received showcases a fan base that is completely dedicated to their country’s rising tennis star.

This type of support will extend beyond the Alexandra Eala-Alycia Parks match

The intense Filipino support for Alexandra Eala at the Australian Open, where she had her first-round match against Alycia Parks, is a powerful message, driven by the national fans’ interest in tennis. The atmosphere was just crazy.

Veteran tennis journalist Jose Morgado described scheduling her match on a small outside court as “dumb.” This sentiment was echoed by veteran tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg, who said, “This unwise court placement was one of my first reactions when looking at today’s order of play.”

Indeed, Melbourne saw thousands of fans create queues so long that officials had to turn people away, and the chair umpire repeatedly cautioned the crowd for excessive noise. This support stems from Eala’s historic achievements as the first Filipino player, male or female, to crack the sport’s global top 50 rankings and to win a main-draw match at the US Open against 14th-seeded Clara Tauson, breaking new ground for Philippine tennis.

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Whoever plays against her on court also feels that drive in the Filipino fans. Just days before the Australian Open, Grand Slam semi-finalist Donna Vekic said, “Every time [I play against Alex], I feel like we’re playing in the centre of the Philippines, so I don’t know, there’s so many of you guys out there.”

Well, even if she lost at the Australian Open, Eala said, “I’m still young, 20, so learning how to deal with all of this attention. I guess this is one of the moments that I can reflect on what this means for Philippine tennis. I’m the only Filipina in the draw this year. I’m the only Filipina that’s ever been in the draw, I think. So there are positives to take away.”

So, as the Australian Open progresses, Alexandra Eala walks away to prepare for what’s next in her season, while Alycia Parks aims towards a good match against 19th-seeded Karolína Muchová.