Pacquiao, other local celebrities to share spotlight with Eala at homecoming event
MANILA, Philippines — Six Filipino celebrities led by boxing legend Manny Pacquiao will join Alex Eala in her homecoming event on December 8 at the gargantuan Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Anne Curtis, Piolo Pascual, Andrea Brillantes, Donny Pangilinan and Julia Barreto will join Pacquiao and Eala in a celebrity match, where details and formats have yet to be announced.
The event will also include matches between Filipino junior players and rising stars under the supervision and development of the Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA).
The main act in "Alex Eala Live: Game. Set. Celebrate", however, will be Eala’s exhibition match against fellow Southeast Asian star Janice Tjen of Indonesia.
Eala, ranked No. 18, and Tjen, No. 51, are their respective countries’ No. 1 players and considered two of the best young stars in the WTA pro circuit right now ahead of their gigantic duel at the 55,000-seater arena, the world’s largest indoor venue.
Tickets, ranging from P618 to P63,705 including a live gala dinner, are already on sale on Ticketworld.
"I love playing tennis in the Philippines, and I'm really excited to come home and share this moment with Filipino fans," beamed Eala on the heels of a Round 3 finish at the US Open and a historic guesting in New York Fashion Week.
"Having the opportunity to play at the Philippine Arena, in front of tens of thousands of fans, is something truly special. I'm excited to be part of a moment that brings people together, celebrates our culture, and hopefully creates a historic moment for Philippine tennis.”
"I'm really looking forward to playing Alex in Manila and being part of such a special occasion. It's exciting to see the passion for tennis in the Philippines, and I'm sure it will be an incredible experience playing in front of such a big crowd. I'm really looking forward to being part of it," added Tjen.
Eala, 18, and Tjen, 24, teamed up in a Final Four run earlier this year in the Abu Dhabi Open. Tjen, however, holds a 1-0 head-to-head advantage in singles over Eala after a 6-4, 6-1 in the Sao Paulo Open in Brazil last year.
No Filipino individual athlete has ever played at the gargantuan Philippine Arena until Eala.
It will mark another milestone for Eala and Philippine tennis after staging the WTA125 Philippine Women’s Open at the refurbished Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila that also served as the first-of-its-kind international tennis event in the country.
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