Alex Eala’s chances of winning an Asian Games gold medal got a major boost after reigning champion Qinwen Zheng of China and powerhouse Wang Xinyu opted to skip the tournament in favor of the China Open that would be held right at home in Beijing.

The China Tennis Association confirmed in a statement carried by the South China Morning Post last June that Zheng, currently world No. 121, will not defend her women’s singles crown in Nagoya.

Also skipping the Asian Games is world No. 43 Wang, who is currently China’s highest-ranked player in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

“The selection group has prioritized singles, reduced players competing in multiple events and aimed to balance Olympic ranking considerations with team development,” the federation said, referring to Zheng, who stunned former Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the Round of 32 of the US Open on Saturday.

“It is a coordinated approach to ensure strong results at the Asian Games while supporting players in their pursuit of Olympic qualification points.”