Metro Manila, Philippines – Novak Djokovic has no problem with the record-breaking crowd that went to see Alex Eala play in her Australian Open main draw debut earlier this week.
Filipino fans flooded Melbourne Park to get a glimpse of the 20-year-old ace in action at the first grand slam of the year.
With the huge turnout of people waiting in long queues outside the court where Eala was playing, hundreds of them were left disappointed and were forced to watch on a nearby big screen.
“I saw the other day with Alex Eala, that’s been a talk which is understandable. She’s so young, she’s just coming through. Obviously the first couple rounds the schedule is packed, the big courts with big names, it’s difficult,” he said in a press conference after his second round win against Francesco Maestrelli on Jan. 22, Thursday.
“It’s not easy to manage that. It’s a good problem to have,” he continued.
Eala had a brief campaign following first round exits in both the women’s singles and doubles, but she’s sparking huge interest among casual spectators.
Many of the fans, some of whom are new to the grand slam stage, brought energy to hype Eala and behavior that are against unspoken etiquette in tennis.
“She’s coming from the Philippines which is now a big deal. She’s the biggest tennis player from that country, and it’s a big country, and there’s big interest,” said Djokovic.
Djokovic, who has the most number of men’s grand slams, noted that organizers could have handled the situation better given that Eala is now becoming a fan favorite.
“You could argue maybe it’s a poor schedule and maybe they could schedule her on a bigger court,” he said.
