Alex Eala aims to make history for the Philippines as strong favorite learns path to Asian Games gold

Friday, 25 September 2026 at 20:00

Eala clenches both fists while celebrating a point at the 2022 Asian Games.

Everything is ready for the Asian Games and its tennis draw, which will feature Alexandra Eala as the big star of the women's singles tournament and the main candidate for the gold medal. The current world No.18 decided to accept a WTA fine for skipping the upcoming WTA 1000 China Open — a mandatory tournament on the calendar — and instead represent her country, hoping to give the Philippines' women's tennis team its first-ever gold medal.

The draw that the 21-year-old star will face has now been revealed, with Eala as the first seed in a field that features several Top-100 players. The mandatory WTA calendar has led to several big names being absent from the draw, including defending champion Qinwen Zheng, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and Indonesia's Janice Tjen.

Normally, top-ranked players skip these types of competitions when they coincide with tournaments on the WTA calendar. It is not only the Asian Games that have seen big absences, as we have also seen it at the Pan American Games, where delegations tend to send lower-ranked players to compete, while big names from the ATP and WTA Tours are usually absent.

This time, although Eala starts as the favorite, she will face some difficult challenges in the draw. Highly experienced former Top-30 players such as Zhang Shuai and Yulia Putintseva stand out, although some younger players could also be names to watch. Former Top-50 players like Xiyu Wang (China) and Moyuka Uchijima (Japan) are other recognized names on Tour who will try to cause an upset against Eala's strong favoritism.

Asian Games women's singles finals

Year	Gold medalist	Silver medalist	Score
1958	Sachiko Kamo (JPN)	Desideria Ampon (PHI)	6–1, 6–2
1962	Akiko Fukui (JPN)	Reiko Miyagi (JPN)	7–5, 6–2
1966	Lany Kaligis (INA)	Kazuko Kuromatsu (JPN)	6–2, 6–3
1974	Lita Sugiarto (INA)	Paulina Peisachov (ISR)	7–6, 6–4
1978	Lee Duk-hee (KOR)	Chen Juan (CHN)	6–3, 6–1
1982	Etsuko Inoue (JPN)	Kim Soo-ok (KOR)	4–6, 6–4, 6–4
1986	Li Xinyi (CHN)	Lee Jeong-soon (KOR)	6–3, 6–3
1990	Akiko Kijimuta (JPN)	Chen Li (CHN)	6–3, 6–3
1994	Kimiko Date (JPN)	Naoko Sawamatsu (JPN)	6–2, 6–4
1998	Yayuk Basuki (INA)	Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA)	6–4, 6–2
2002	Iroda Tulyaganova (UZB)	Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA)	6–1, 6–3
2006	Zheng Jie (CHN)	Sania Mirza (IND)	6–4, 1–6, 6–1
2010	Peng Shuai (CHN)	Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB)	7–5, 6–2
2014	Wang Qiang (CHN)	Luksika Kumkhum (THA)	6–2, 7–6(7–5)
2018	Wang Qiang (CHN)	Zhang Shuai (CHN)	6–3, 6–2
2022	Zheng Qinwen (CHN)	Zhu Lin (CHN)	6–2, 6–4

Eala eyes historic Philippines gold as strong favorite

It will be a 30-player draw, with first-round byes for the first and second seeds, Alexandra Eala and Zhang Shuai. The Filipino will therefore wait for the winner of the match between Patcharin Cheapchadej (Thailand, No. 510) and Mahin Aftab Qureshi (Pakistan, unranked).

Eala won the bronze medal for the Philippines at the 2022 Asian Games after losing to Qinwen Zheng in the semifinals.

If she advances, she could face Joanna Garland (Taiwan, No. 168), remembered for reaching the final of the 1 Point Slam exhibition at the 2026 Australian Open and losing to amateur Jordan Smith in the match for the $1 million prize. On that occasion, she defeated players including Alexander Zverev, Nick Kyrgios, Maria Sakkari and Donna Vekic in one-point duels.

Her potential semifinal opponent is Japan's Moyuka Uchijima (No. 105), a former Top-50 player who has two WTA 125 titles. She has made several appearances in the second round of Grand Slam tournaments and reached the quarterfinals of the Madrid WTA 1000, defeating opponents such as Ekaterina Alexandrova, Ons Jabeur and Jessica Pegula on the way.

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Eala could therefore reach the final without facing a Top-100 opponent, which would guarantee the best result in the history of Philippine women's tennis at the Asian Games, as the country has never had a women's singles finalist. However, she could go even further and fight for the gold medal.

Zhang Shuai (No.55) and Yulia Putintseva (No.79) are the bigger names in the other half of the draw. Both have previously been seeded at Grand Slam tournaments and reached rankings similar to Eala's career high, with Zhang reaching No.22 and Putintseva No.20. Without a doubt, both would be particularly difficult opponents in a final, where experience could be a key factor on court.

Eala's projected Asian Games path

Round	Potential opponent	Country	Ranking
1st round	Bye	—	—
2nd round	Patcharin Cheapchandej	Thailand	No. 510
Quarterfinal	Joanna Garland	Taiwan	No. 168
Semifinal	Moyuka Uchijima	Japan	No. 105
Final	Zhang Shuai / Yulia Putintseva	China / Kazakhstan	No. 55 / No.79

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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