Rising Filipino tennis star Alex Eala is currently ranked No. 18 in the world.
Eala is coming off a third-round exit at the 2026 US Open, losing to Iva Jovic.
The 21-year-old ace is set to participate in the 2026 Singapore Tennis Open next week before heading to Japan to represent the Philippines in the 2026 Asian Games.
Eala’s Major Boost Ahead of Asian Games
Alex Eala is the highest-ranked player entering the 2026 Asian Games.
She’s the likely favorite to take home the gold medal, though she would have to face some tough competition along the way, like former World No. 4 Zheng Qinwen and current World No. 41 Wang Xinyu of China.
However, Zheng and Wang have reportedly withdrawn from the Asian Games and won’t be competing in Japan, as per Tennis World USA.
It’s unclear why Zheng and Wang are not playing for China, though the 2026 China Open, a mandatory WTA event, is on the same schedule as the Asian Games.
Zheng is also the reigning Asian Games gold medalist, so there will be a new champion. She defeated Eala in the semifinals of the 2022 Asian Games. She’s also the reigning Olympic gold medalist.
Why is Alex Eala Playing in the Asian Games?
While a couple of her peers are skipping the Asian Games, Alex Eala wanted to represent the Philippines.
Eala explained to reporters after her US Open exit last week why she decided to play for her country.
“I love playing and competing with the Philippines team and in the SEA, the Asian Games, I’ve also done, I think it’s a really fun environment, I love being with the team,” Eala said via Tennis Head.
“Especially this last SEA Games in December, I had such a great time and I think they’re really memories that will stick with me,” she added. “You know, the Asian Games happens once every four years and yeah, I just found myself drawn to compete in that over other stuff.”
To play in the Asian Games, Eala will not be participating in the 2026 China Open. It’s a mandatory WTA tournament, so she’s facing a possible $10,000 fine and could lose points for her rankings.
The Philippine Tennis Association has already filed an exemption for Eala to the WTA, though it might not be enough to avoid punishment.
According to Tennis Head, the WTA rejected the exemption filed by Indonesia’s Janice Tjen to skip the China Open. The current World No. 35 decided to withdraw from the Asian Games and play in Beijing instead.
Alex Eala Gets Major Boost Ahead of 2026 Asian Games