MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala ended her 2026 Asian Games campaign with a bronze medal after falling to China’s Wang Xiyu, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, in the women’s singles semifinals in Japan.
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| Photo courtesy: Alex Eala Instagram / AFP |
The semifinal defeat secured Eala’s third Asian Games medal and her second bronze in women’s singles after she also finished third in the event at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, which were held in 2023.
Eala also won a bronze medal in mixed doubles at the Hangzhou Asian Games, giving her three medals across her Asian Games appearances.
The world No. 18 entered the tournament as the top seed and advanced to the semifinals after receiving a first-round bye before defeating Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej, 6-1, 6-0, and Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland, 7-5, 6-0.
Her semifinal loss ended her bid to become the first Filipino tennis champion at the Asian Games since Johnny Jose won the men’s singles title in 1962.
The result also ended Eala’s bid for a direct entry to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, according to the tournament information provided for the women’s singles event.
Eala’s Asian Games campaign also included women’s doubles with Shaira Hope Rivera, with the pair winning their opening match before bowing out in the second round.
Eala and Rivera defeated Hong Kong’s Lai Ching Laam and Kallista Liu, 6-1, 6-3, in the first round before losing to China’s third-seeded pair of Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan, 7-5, 6-2, in the second round.
Rivera also competed in mixed doubles with Francis Casey Alcantara, with the Philippine pair advancing to the second round after defeating Iran’s Kasra Rahmani and Meshkatolzahra Safi, 6-4, 1-6, 10-8.
Alcantara and Rivera were scheduled to face Japan’s fifth-seeded pair of Yusuke Kusuhara and Shuko Aoyama in the second round.
Eala is expected to return to the WTA Tour at the Wuhan Open, a WTA 1000 event scheduled to begin October 12, 2026.
Alex Eala Asian Games Schedule and Results
Women’s Singles
Round of 32
Alex Eala
Result: First-round bye
Date: September 27, 2026
Round of 16
Alex Eala def. Patcharin Cheapchandej (Thailand), 6-1, 6-0
Result: Eala won
Date: September 28, 2026
Venue: Indoor Court C, Higashiyama Park Tennis Center, Aichi, Japan
Quarterfinals
Alex Eala def. Joanna Garland (Chinese Taipei), 7-5, 6-0
Result: Eala won — Medal secured
Date: September 30, 2026
Venue: Higashiyama Park Tennis Center, Aichi, Japan
Semifinals
Alex Eala lost to Wang Xiyu (China), 6-3, 3-6, 2-6
Result: Eala won bronze medal
Date: October 1, 2026
Venue: Higashiyama Park Tennis Center, Aichi, Japan
Women’s Doubles
Round 1
Alex Eala / Shaira Hope Rivera def. Lai Ching Laam / Kallista Liu (Hong Kong), 6-1, 6-3
Result: Eala/Rivera won
Date: September 29, 2026
Venue: Indoor Court B, Higashiyama Park Tennis Center, Aichi, Japan
Round 2
Alex Eala / Shaira Hope Rivera lost to Jiang Xinyu / Yang Zhaoxuan (China), 5-7, 2-6
Result: Eala/Rivera eliminated
Date: September 30, 2026
Venue: Higashiyama Park Tennis Center, Aichi, Japan
Mixed Doubles
Round 1
Francis Casey Alcantara / Shaira Hope Rivera def. Kasra Rahmani / Meshkatolzahra Safi (Iran), 6-4, 1-6, 10-8
Result: Alcantara/Rivera won
Date: September 27, 2026
Venue: Higashiyama Park Tennis Center, Aichi, Japan
Round 2
Francis Casey Alcantara / Shaira Hope Rivera vs. Yusuke Kusuhara / Shuko Aoyama (Japan)
Result: TBD
How to Watch Alex Eala
Filipino fans can follow Eala’s Asian Games tennis matches through the official broadcast and streaming platforms carrying 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 is scheduled from September 27 to October 3 at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, while the 20th Asian Games run through October 4.
What’s Next for Alex Eala?
Eala is expected to return to international competition at the Wuhan Open, a WTA 1000 tournament scheduled to begin on October 12.
— The Summit Express
Will not be forgotten.
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