Alex Eala Chose the Flag Over the Money, and Has No Regrets

She Chose the Flag Over the Money, and Alex Eala Has No Regrets

Alex Eala skipped the WTA's China Open to play for the Philippines at the Asian Games, where she won bronze after a three-set semifinal loss. She says she has no regrets, PHILTA says no penalty was imposed, and she returns to the tour at the Wuhan Open tonight.

Oct 12, 20263 min read

Key Facts

Alex Eala won bronze in women's singles at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.

She lost the semifinal to China's world No. 85 Wang Xiyu, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, after winning the first set.

Playing the Asian Games meant skipping the China Open, a mandatory WTA 1000 event in Beijing.

The Philippine Tennis Association told senators the WTA has not penalized her.

Eala, seeded 13th, faces Chinese qualifier Shi Han in the first round of the Wuhan Open on October 12.

Ranking points, prize money, a shot at the WTA Finals. Alex Eala gave up all of that to wear the Philippine flag, and she says she would do it again.

What happened in Nagoya

Eala went into the women's singles event of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya as the top seed. After a bye, she beat Thailand's Patcharin Cheapchandej and Chinese Taipei's Joanna Garland to reach the semifinals.

There, on October 1, she faced China's Wang Xiyu, ranked No. 85 in the world. Eala raced to a 5-0 lead in the first set and took it 6-3, but Wang fought back to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. In Asian Games tennis, both losing semifinalists receive bronze, so Eala went home with a medal, her third at the Asian Games.

She also played women's doubles with Shaira Rivera, reaching the second round.

The price of playing for the country

The Asian Games overlapped with the China Open in Beijing, one of the WTA's mandatory WTA 1000 events. Before the Games, reports said skipping it could cost her a $10,000 fine and a ranking penalty. The Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) asked the WTA for an exemption.

Missing Beijing still meant missing out on its ranking points and prize money, and it took her out of contention for this year's WTA Finals.

"No regrets"

Before the semifinal, Eala said she did not take the decision lightly and admitted that missing a big event like Beijing was hard, but she said there would be many chances to go back. After her loss, she insisted she had no regrets, saying she was happy to have experienced the Games and to compete for the country. She also credited Wang for being the more consistent player.

Good news on the penalty

On October 8, PHILTA executive director Tonette Mendoza told the Senate Committee on Sports that Eala was not penalized. She said the WTA asked whether Eala made the decision herself and whether the Games were an Olympic qualifier, PHILTA answered yes to both, and the WTA never got back to them. There has been no public statement from the WTA.

Back to work in Wuhan

Eala, the world No. 18, returns to the tour at the Wuhan Open, the last WTA 1000 event of the season. Seeded 13th, she is set to face Chinese qualifier Shi Han, ranked No. 231, in the first round on Monday night, October 12.

It has been a busy few weeks: between Nagoya and Wuhan, she also made her Paris Fashion Week debut at the Chanel show. Up next after Wuhan are tournaments in Ningbo and Tokyo.

Flag first, then the grind. That's the Eala way.