Tennis enthusiasts cannot ignore the influence of the Filipino sensation Alika Eala. Although 21-year-old Eala still has a long way to go to become a Grand Slam contender, she has already changed the demographic landscape of tennis.
Eala, who emerged in a country without traditions of cultivating elite tennis players, quickly became a national icon in the Philippines. On Tuesday, in a first-round match at the US Open, she was supported by devoted Filipino fans in New York. It is so incredible that now there are kiosks selling a dish of traditional Filipino cuisine—Chicken Adobo—in stadiums around the world.
Earlier this year, Eala even attended a presidential reception during a visit to Manila. Despite her huge influence among compatriots, Eala is not the first star to emerge from a country with an underdeveloped tennis culture.
In recent sports history, three female tennis players can be highlighted who overcame difficulties in their countries and became pioneers. Below is a list of these stars who broke the glass ceiling.
When Sania Mirza played against Serena Williams in the third round of the Australian Open in 2005, no one expected the rising Indian star to win a set. Although Sania lost in two sets, her fearless approach and magnificent forehand, reminiscent of Steffi Graf, could not be overlooked. For the generation of Indians who grew up admiring the German legend, as well as Martina Navratilova, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Monica Seles, watching a young player from a cricket-obsessed country battling elite stars was akin to watching an Asian athlete win a gold medal in the 100-meter race.
Sania's influence in India cannot be measured in numbers, even though she won a WTA singles title and reached the world's No. 27 ranking before a wrist injury ended her singles career. The girl from Hyderabad switched to doubles, winning majors, becoming world number one, and gaining the celebrity status usually reserved for cricketers and Bollywood stars in India. It is truly an incredible story of a person whose father used to drive her to remote parts of India in an old family car to participate in junior tournaments.
Like millions of young children in China, Li Na was initially drawn to the racket sport through badminton. However, when she switched from a badminton racket to a tennis racket several years later, no one could predict that it would change the sporting landscape of China. In 2006, she became the first Chinese athlete to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon. But the real breakthrough only happened in 2011. At the French Open in 2011, Li made history by becoming the first athlete from China and the first Asian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title. Her victory at the French Open instantly made her a superstar in China, with 116 million people watching her final.
Li won her second Grand Slam title in 2014 by winning the Australian Open, which sparked a tennis revolution in China. Thanks to major endorsement deals, she became one of the highest-paid tennis players in the world. Li is considered the catalyst for the boom in tennis in China. When Qinwen Zheng won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in singles, she proudly named Li Na as her main life inspiration.
Due to the lack of quality tennis facilities at her home club in Tunisia, Ons Jabeur's family had to find nearby tourist resorts for her training and matches. By that time, Jabeur was 10 years old and exceeding her parents' expectations, who had introduced her to tennis merely as a pastime. By age 13, Jabeur had achieved such progress that no other girl in Tunisia could compete with her. Initially, there were no tennis courts, and then there were no girls at her level to train with. Therefore, Jabeur did everything possible under the circumstances. She played and trained with boys in Tunisia, which helped her further develop her game. She then moved to Europe before becoming a professional. She was a late bloomer on the WTA circuit, but once she found her range, she was unstoppable.
Jabeur became the first Arab and African athlete—regardless of gender—to reach a Grand Slam final. She participated in three Grand Slam finals (Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023, and the US Open in 2022), losing all of them. However, her story is one of defiance, inspiring Arab women to pursue their athletic dreams.