She is now headed to Japan to play for a bigger role for the country.
On Wednesday, September 23, Filipina tennis star Alex Eala finally appeared on the OCBC Arena in Kallang, Singapore for her highly-anticipated play in the Round of 16 of the Singapore Open.
The 21-year-old, who is seeded no. 3 in the said WTA 500 tournament and current world no. 18, played against Russian netter Tatiana Prozorova, who is currently world no. 180.
From the onset of their match, the two heavily exchanged breaks throughout the intense competition. Eala, who took on the win in the first set, even had the upper hand a number of times.
However, she ultimately fumbled in the deciding set of the intense match that ran for more than three hours.
The final scoreline was 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, with Prozorova advancing to the next round of the competition.
The Singapore Open is the last one for Alex before heading to the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where she is set to represent the country.
She is expected to play in women’s singles, alongside another rising Filipina netter Tenny Maddis. Alex is also set to team up with Shaira Hope Rivera in the women’s doubles event.
In Japan, Alex looks to not only go beyond her bronze medal finishes in women’s singles amd mixed doubles events in the Hangzhou games in 2023, but also secure the country’s first gold medal in the sport since 1962.
