MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala begins her 2026 Asian Games campaign with a first-round bye as the top seed in the women’s singles tennis event.
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| Photo courtesy: Alex Eala Instagram / AFP |
Eala enters the Asian Games after suffering a first-round exit at the Singapore Tennis Open, where Russia’s Tatiana Prozorova rallied to defeat her, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
The Filipina tennis star will now turn her focus to the Asian Games, where she hopes to improve on her bronze-medal finish in women’s singles at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, which were held in 2023.
The Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) released the Asian Games tennis draws ahead of the competition, which will run from September 27 to October 3 at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Eala is the highest-ranked player in the women’s singles draw and will start her campaign in the second round after receiving a bye in the opening round.
Alex Eala Asian Games Schedule
Singles
Round of 64 — Bye
Alex Eala
Result: First-round bye
Date: September 27, 2026
Venue: Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center, Aichi, Japan
Round of 32 — TBD
Alex Eala vs. Winner of Patcharin Cheapchandej (Thailand) / Mahin Aftab Qureshi (Pakistan)
Result: TBD
Date: TBD
Venue: Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center, Aichi, Japan
Women's Doubles
Round 1 — TBD
Alex Eala / Shaira Hope Rivera vs. Lai Ching Laam / Kallista Liu (Hong Kong)
Result: TBD
Date: TBD
Venue: Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center, Aichi, Japan
Eala and Rivera will represent the Philippines in the women’s doubles event, while fellow Filipinas Tennielle Madis and Stefie Marithe Aludo will face Indonesia’s Anjali Kirana Junarto and Meydiana Laviola Reinnamah.
In mixed doubles, Rivera will team up with Philippine national team stalwart Francis Casey Alcantara against Iran’s Kasra Rahmani and Meshkatolzahra Safi.
How to Watch Alex Eala
Filipino fans can watch Eala’s Asian Games tennis matches through Cignal’s coverage of the Games.
Streaming: One Sports YouTube, Cignal Play, Pilipinas Live
Free-to-air: One Sports, RPTV
Cable: One Sports+, Asian Games pop-up channel on Cignal
The tennis tournament will be held from September 27 to October 3, while the 20th Asian Games will officially run through October 4.
— The Summit Express
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