“PLEASE ADOPT ME!” — DONNA VEKIC STUNNED BY THE ALEX EALA EFFECT AS PHILIPPINE FANS COMPLETELY TAKE OVER THE STANDS

Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic never expected this. After back-to-back matches against Alex Eala in New Zealand and Melbourne, the Croatian star admitted she felt “completely overwhelmed” by the sheer force of Philippine support flooding every arena.

“Every time I play Alex, it feels like we’re competing in the middle of Manila,” Vekic laughed on court, scanning a sea of Filipino flags and roaring chants. The imbalance was so extreme that she jokingly begged fans to “adopt” her at the upcoming Australian Open — as long as she doesn’t have to face Eala again.

Down 0–2 in their head-to-head, Vekic praised the 20-year-old’s rapid rise and admitted this wasn’t just crowd noise — it was a movement. Wherever Alex Eala plays, an entire nation seems to arrive with her. FULL STORY BELOW