Just getting started
Even in a losing effort in the night session, Joao Fonseca’s thunderclap forehands raised the decibel level to chilling heights inside Stadium 1. The sheer joy of the crowd flowed in waves that pierced the desert evening.
Even in defeat, Fonseca lifted the spirits of the crowd as he and Jannik Sinner captured the imagination with high-octane tennis that points to a bright future for the sport.
The same could be said for Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, who drew crowds throughout her debut in Tennis Paradise with her gritty tennis. Though she wasn’t able to match the power of Linda Noskova in the second match of the evening session, she can hold her head high. She is a pioneer for the Philippines who is helping introduce a wave of new fans to the sport. Flags were flying high for her on Tuesday night — and they will again when she returns.
When it was all said and done on Tuesday, the real winner was tennis — and the fans who came to celebrate it.