Alexandra Eala’s 2026 US Open campaign may have ended in disappointment, but the Filipina will have little time to rest with a busy Asian swing coming up later this month.
The 21-year-old was eliminated in the third round by Iva Jovic after a three-hour battle at Arthur Ashe Stadium, ending her deepest run at Flushing Meadows.
Despite the defeat, Eala left New York having added another milestone to her breakthrough season and will now turn her attention towards tournaments much closer to home.
Her next scheduled appearance is the Singapore Tennis Open from September 21-27, where she will compete in the tournament’s first edition since being upgraded to WTA 500 status.
Eala is part of a strong field at the OCBC Arena that also includes several leading players such as Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva and Amanda Anisimova.
Indonesia’s Janice Tjen is another notable name on the entry list, potentially giving Southeast Asian fans the opportunity to watch two of the region’s leading players compete at the same WTA tournament.
Eala’s schedule will then take a different direction as she turns her attention towards representing the Philippines at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
Her participation was confirmed by Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) executive director Tonette Mendoza in an interview with the Daily Tribune.
The decision means Eala will miss the WTA 1000 China Open in Beijing, which overlaps with the continental competition.
Eala will arrive at the Asian Games with unfinished business after winning bronze in the women’s singles at Hangzhou 2022, where her run was ended by eventual champion Zheng Qinwen in the semi-finals.
She also claimed bronze in the mixed doubles alongside Francis Casey Alcantara, giving her two medals from her Asian Games debut.
Four years later, Eala returns as a considerably more established player after breaking into the world’s top 20 and winning her maiden WTA Tour title this season.
The Asian Games therefore provides another opportunity to add to an already historic year, this time with medals rather than ranking points at stake.
