Singaporean slams door shut on Eala

Alex Eala’s bid to make it to the main draw of the Singapore Tennis Open was denied after a 3-6, 2-6 loss against Simona Waltert of Switzerland in the second qualifying round on Sunday in Singapore.

The 19-year-old Filipino tennis ace played for one hour and 16 minutes before the home bet pulled the plug on her bid.

Eala previously defeated Sara Saito of Japan, 6-1, 6-7, 7-5, in the first qualifying round.

This is the second time this year the Rafael Nadal Academy graduate failed to make it to the main draw of a tournament.

Eala suffered an early exit in the Australian Open after a 5-7, 2-6 loss to Jana Fett of Croatia in the first qualifying round last 7 January.

The three-time junior Grand Slam champion has a choice of joining either the W500 Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates or the W125 Mumbai in India in February.

Eala’s best record in 2025 so far was a semifinal finish at the Workday Canberra International in Australia.