“I definitely think it was more than I expected to achieve" - Alexandra Eala looks back on 2026 campaign with pride ahead of final tournament

Alexandra Eala is set to culminate her 2026 season at the Hong Kong Open. It has been a year of sparkling highs with a few lows outshone by the brilliance of the Filipina in certain periods. She is now ready for one more shot at glory before resting and resetting ahead of 2027.

The 21-year-old will take on Alycia Parks in her opening match of the event. She debuted in it this time last year, overcoming Katie Boulter, who retired halfway into the second set, before losing out to the eventual champion, Victoria Mboko, in three sets.

She has gone from strength to strength in 2026, but her recent form has not been as good as she would have hoped. There is one more chance to end her campaign on a high note, as Eala told reporters how she was feeling ahead of the WTA 250 event.

“The season’s very long, so it’s natural that it goes up and down," she said. "But with that being said, I’m super proud of this whole year, even the past couple of weeks; how I’ve been working, how I’ve been training, super proud of that."

There are no negative thoughts or anything that she rues about going to Hong Kong. “Coming into the last tournament of the season, with no regrets, I think I’ve done everything that I could have possibly done, I’ve enjoyed [it]. I’m super happy with our results.”

Currently ranked 19th in the world, Eala has cemented her spot in the top 20 in the world. This is hugely impressive after losing a lot of traction at the Miami Open as she was forced to defend the points from that breakthrough semi-final run that got her on the map a year before.

She continued to plug away, aside from quarter-final runs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, there were no real standout results. Her trajectory changed when venturing onto grass. She doubled her WTA 125 count in Birmingham before a semi-final in Berlin, putting her in a good position heading to Wimbledon. She took down the reigning champion, Iga Swiatek, in straight sets to put her into the fourth round, her best result at major level.

What followed was her biggest breakthrough result in 2026. Defeating Zheng Qinwen, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula while dropping just one set, she stormed across the finishing line at the DC Open in fine fashion to claim her maiden WTA title in scintillating fashion.

Since losing to good friend Iva Jovic in the third round of the US Open, Eala's form has not been as glittering. Just three wins in the Asian swing with some shocking upsets along the way have stunted her progress. A bronze medal at the Asian Games was also disappointing. She got back on track at the Pan Pacific Open, losing in the quarter-finals against eventual champion Diana Shnaider after winning the first set.

Now the No.2 seed in Hong Kong, Eala looked back on her season with a lot of pride. “I definitely think it was more than I expected to achieve. I think with every milestone that I’ve had this year and throughout the past two years," she commented.

“I think the more I realise how difficult it is to achieve said milestones, and hold my position in the rankings, in the tour, and in various places. So really appreciative of the whole journey that I got this season, and the work that my team and I have put in.”

Eala will kick off her tournament on Tuseday, 3rd November. Sorana Cirstea is the highest ranked player with Tokyo runner-up Leylah Fernandez, Maria Sakkari, Boulter and Venus Williams all featuring.