How Alex Eller’s Wimbledon run made everyday Filipinos fall in love with tennis

Chasing her dream of becoming a world tennis champion, teenage athlete Maristella Torrecampo and her father took a grueling 13-hour bus ride from her sleepy mountain town for her latest match in Manila.

The 14-year-old’s mother and four siblings could not attend to watch him play; His crowd-funded budget was enough for two round-trip bus tickets and a few days worth of food.

Barely rested from a long journey, and with only her father cheering her on, Torrecampo defeated her Omani opponent in straight sets 6-1, 6-1 at the Rizal Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, keeping alive her dream of following in the footsteps of the country’s new sports star Alexandra Ila.

Torrecampo competed in Manila in July when the Philippines was celebrating Ela’s historic Wimbledon run — which Torrecampo and the entire nation followed on streaming and social media.

Eala, 21, went the furthest of any Filipina in a Grand Slam event, reaching the fourth round and knocking out defending champion Iga Suatek of Poland along the way.

Since her breakout semifinal performance at the Miami Open last year, Ila has reignited interest in tennis in the Philippines, a country obsessed with the three B’s – basketball, boxing and beauty queens.

Ella is an inspiration to young tennis players like Torrecampo.

“Like Ate Alex, I want to win Wimbledon, WTA and tournaments around the world,” said Torrecampo, referring to ila, the Filipino word for older sister.