A historic milestone for Southeast Asian tennis

The center of attention is Alexandra Eala, a 20-year-old player from the Philippines. Currently ranked 49th in the world, Eala holds the highest ranking ever achieved by a Filipino player and has become a symbol of the new wave of Southeast Asian tennis. Although she exited in the first round after losing to Alycia Parks (USA), Eala’s debut in the Australian Open main draw left a strong impression, not only for her skills but also for her ability to attract fans.

At Melbourne Park, Eala was almost always surrounded by many Filipino supporters, from practice courts to the stands on match day. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Eala said: "It’s wonderful. There are so many Filipinos in this region. This year, the number of fans supporting me has increased significantly compared to previous years."

Besides Eala, Thailand had two representatives making their main draw debut: Mananchaya Sawangkaew (23 years old) and Lanlana Tararudee (21 years old). Both were eliminated in the first round, facing very experienced opponents: Sawangkaew lost to Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, while Tararudee was defeated by Elise Mertens, a former world No. 12. Nonetheless, having two Thai players simultaneously in the main draw is seen as a positive sign for tennis in Thailand.

Among the Southeast Asian representatives, Indonesia’s Janice Tjen made the biggest splash. The 23-year-old not only made her Australian Open main draw debut but also created history by defeating Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 US Open runner-up, in just two sets. This victory made Tjen the first Indonesian female player to win a match at the Australian Open since 1998. Although she was later stopped in the second round by Karolina Pliskova, a former world No. 1, Tjen’s journey is regarded as a major step forward for Indonesian tennis.

Although the results were not as hoped, the presence of Southeast Asian players at the Australian Open is part of an impressive rise in their status. According to Lou Antolihao, a sports research expert at the National University of Singapore, Southeast Asians "have always yearned to be on the global stage." He believes rising stars like Eala and Tjen are "building a passionate fan community" and significantly "amplifying interest in tennis."

Beyond the sporting aspect, the emergence of Southeast Asian players opens huge commercial potential for tournament organizers. Southeast Asia, with a population of over 700 million, is considered an "untapped" market for top-level tennis. Stephen Farrow, Event Director of Tennis Australia, which runs the Australian Open, acknowledged: "Look at Alexandra Eala. She’s an outstanding player. If she takes another step forward, that would open up a nearly untapped market with enormous explosive potential."

In recent years, East Asia—especially China and Japan—has emerged as a new tennis powerhouse rivaling European countries thanks to successes like Zheng Qinwen’s gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics and Naomi Osaka’s four Grand Slam titles. This success has sparked strong interest at the Australian Open, with growing numbers of sponsors and spectators from China and Japan. Southeast Asia now has the opportunity to catch up with this trend.

According to Tom Heenan, a sports lecturer at Monash University (Australia), Southeast Asian tennis has developed slowly for many years due to lack of investment, absence of elite training systems, coaching, and infrastructure. In reality, most top players from the region have only progressed through Western training academies. Eala graduated from the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain in 2023, while Tjen developed through the U.S. collegiate tennis system. These pathways have given them access to elite coaching and the motivation to compete at the highest level.

The growing global recognition of Southeast Asian talent is also driving domestic investment. In the Philippines, tennis was once considered a "marginal" sport compared to basketball or boxing, but this is changing. The Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) recently reached an agreement with the WTA to host the Philippine Women’s Open—the country’s first-ever WTA 125 tournament.

Therefore, the 2026 Australian Open is not just about titles; it represents a turning point for Southeast Asian tennis, where young stars are gradually breaking historical barriers and opening a promising new chapter on the global tennis map.