Manila has quickly become a special place for Donna Vekic.
The Croatian tennis star, who has already faced Filipina sensation Alex Eala twice this season, is now winning over fans halfway across the globe — not just with her skill, but with her charm.
Their encounters began at the WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, on January 6, where Eala emerged victorious in a three-set thriller.
A week later at the Kooyong Classic in Australia, Eala triumphed again, this time in straight sets. Both matches, however, were impossible for Vekic to ignore, thanks to the overwhelming support Eala received from Filipino fans.
In a post-match interview at Kooyong, Vekic joked, “Every time, I feel like we’re playing in the center of the Philippines. There’s so many of you guys out there. There’s not even 1% as many Croatians as there are Filipinos. But maybe they’ll adopt me and support me in the Australian Open.”
In Manila, it seems the fans took her up on that wish.
At the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open, Vekic has become a crowd favorite, with local supporters packing the stands and cheering her on as if she were a hometown hero.
Chants of “Let’s go, Donna, let’s go!” have echoed across the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, turning Center Court into a sea of encouragement.
Vekic has responded in kind.
The 2024 Paris Olympics women’s singles silver medalist has dazzled spectators with consistently dominant tennis.
She opened her campaign with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Kyoka Okamura, before following it with a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Russia’s Mariia Tkacheva in the Round of 16. She then thrilled a capacity crowd on Thursday’s quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over China’s Zhu Lin.
Reflecting on the quarterfinal win, Vekic acknowledged the crowd’s impact: “It’s very nice to see the support when I come out on court. There were a couple of great points and the reaction of the crowd is great. It makes it really enjoyable to play in front of them.”
At 29, Vekic is on a mission to reclaim her place among the sport’s elite. Once ranked as high as 17th in the world in January 2025, she has slipped to No. 72 and is eager to climb back up.
Her early-season performances in Manila could provide the perfect springboard to reestablish herself on the WTA Tour — and win the hearts of Filipino fans along the way.
