Alexandra Eala opens Asian Games quest with victory as gold medal in her sights

Monday, 28 September 2026 at 21:30

Alexandra Eala has got her quest underway for the Asian Games gold medal by seeing off Patcharin Cheapchandej who is ranked World No.517 in around 55 minutes winning through 6-1, 6-0.

Eala was forced to play indoors after rain hit Nagoya in Japan. The practice courts were used to host what is an international tournament. A last minute change did not upset the Filipino will face Joanna Garland next who was famously involved in the One Point Slam getting to the final as her claim the fame.

But she will face an uphill struggle against Eala in order to get there. Eala has decided to play this in a role that Zheng Qinwen had as the gold medalist a few years ago as being the outright favourite.

Eala has decided against playing the China Open this week and has risked getting a fine as a result of this. The Filipino was told by the Nothing Major Podcast previously that it would be insane if she did end up getting fined for not being involved.

Alex Eala has chosen to play the Asian Games instead of the China Open, a mandatory WTA 1000 for players who qualify for the main draw.

At first glance, it looks like another scheduling problem. It is more interesting than that, because the Asian Games are also part of the…
— The Catcher On The Line (@TheCatcherMgz) September 17, 2026

Eala faces issue with Beijing withdrawal

Having to have a reason to not play in the tournaments means that Eala doesn't really have a reason not to be in Beijing. So she could get fined or lose out on ranking points.

"Of course I want the gold medal, everyone wants it. I've worked very hard for it. I'm here to win, like in every tournament I play, but a loss can always happen.

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It happens, and quite often. If it were to happen to me, I would have to accept it and try to learn from it to come back stronger. But obviously, I would love to leave with the gold medal."

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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