Tennis star Alex Eala pens heartfelt goodbye to her Filipino fans in Toronto

Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala had one unforgettable week at Toronto's National Bank Open, and for now, she's saying goodbye to the thousands of fans who made her feel right at home.

Eala's magical run at this year's tournament came to an end on Sunday when she lost in straight sets to Switzerland's Belinda Bencic in the Round of 16, snapping her seven-match winning streak.

Despite the tough loss, her success in Toronto stretched far beyond the hard court.

All four of Eala's matches at the National Bank Open sold out the 12,000-seat Sobeys Stadium. The demand even had tournament director Karl Hale add traditional Filipino dishes, chicken adobo and lumpia, to the food court outside the stadium.

Thousands of Filipino fans packed Toronto's Sobeys Stadium for all four of Alex Eala's matches. (Lucas Medeiros/Offside) 

After her Round of 32 win over American Caty McNally, Eala said the support she received from Toronto's Filipino community made her feel like she was playing at home.

On Tuesday, she took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message with the fans who helped make her first National Bank Open one she'll never forget.

"Saya pala dito sa barangay Toronto," Eala wrote in Tagalog.

The phrase "Barangay Toronto" is a nod to the city's large Filipino community and loosely translates to "Turns out, it's fun here in Toronto."

"It's difficult to put into words, but very easy to be grateful for you all — I'm feeling the love in ways that I will probably only fully appreciate later," Eala continued in English.

"Thank you for allowing me to experience beyond what I know. I am quite the lucky one."

Eala unfortunately did not have much time to tour around and experience Toronto since she arrived late after winning her previous tournament in Washington, D.C., last Monday.

The lack of time didn't stop her from at least one small outing.

Eala dressed up and explored around Yonge and Sheppard on Monday night. (@alex.eala/Instagram)

On Monday night, Eala shared a photo of herself on Instagram dressed up in a green dress near the Sheppard-Yonge area, posing near the corner of Beecroft Rd. and Poyntz Ave. before leaving town on Tuesday.

Her fans in Toronto will have to wait a little while before she returns.

The tournament is the only combined ATP and WTA 1000-level event that alternates between Toronto and Montreal each year. And next year, the women will be in Montreal, while the men will return to Toronto.