Alex Eala runs into Chinese wall anew, settles for Asian Games bronze - Rappler

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RETURN. Tennis player Alex Eala in action for the Philippines in the 2026 Asian Games.

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MANILA, Philippines – Another one of the Philippines’ top gold-medal bets in the 2026 Asian Games fell as tennis star Alex Eala settled for a bronze on Thursday, October 1.

For the second straight edition, the Filipina ran into a Chinese wall, suffering a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss to Wang Xiyu in the semifinals of the women’s singles at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Nagoya, Japan.

“A lot of good points, a lot of tough moments for me. I think in the end, she played better. Have to sit and think about it,” Eala told Filipino reporters. 

Eala replicated her bronze finish in 2023 in Hangzhou, China, where she also lost in the semifinals to Chinese star and eventual champion Zheng Qinwen. 

This time, though, expectations and scenarios were different as Eala came in as the highest-ranked player in the field at world No. 18, even earning a first-round bye as the top seed.

And Eala lived up to her billing at the start, racing to a 5-0 lead before holding off a Wang comeback to clinch the opening set.

But Wang, ranked 85th in the world, proved to be no pushover as she won the second set to force a decider and went on to complete the upset victory in 2 hours and 34 minutes.

Down 1-4 in the third set, Eala showed signs of life by breaking Wang in the sixth game, but that only delayed her exit as the Chinese won the next two games to seal the win.

A forehand error by Eala marked the end of her gold bid.

It was a disappointing result for Eala, considering she entered the tournament as the title favorite, with the likes of Zheng, world No. 1 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, and world No. 17 Naomi Osaka of Japan skipping the Asian Games to compete in the China Open.

The loss denied Eala a shot at becoming the first Filipino tennis champion in the Asian Games since Johnny Jose ruled the men’s singles in 1962. It also denied Eala a direct entry in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

But as dismayed as she is, Eala relished the opportunity of representing the country again in a multi-sport showdown.

“It meant a lot to me to be here and to compete. At the end of the day, I gave my all. I prepped the best I could prep. I fought the best I could fight. Happy that I was able to have this experience,” she said. 

Up next for Eala is the Wuhan Open that kicks off in China on October 12. – Rappler.com