Eala moves on after Nagoya nightmare

The Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) remains proud of Alex Eala despite her failure to secure a gold medal in the women’s singles competition of the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.

Philta executive secretary Tonette Mendoza said the 21-year-old Eala gave her best and that the semifinal loss simply came down to who performed better on the day.

Eala, ranked No. 18 in the Women’s Tennis Association, fell to world No. 85 Wang Xiyu of China, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center last week.

Wang went on to win the gold medal after beating compatriot Zhang Shuai, 6-2, 6-1, earning a ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“Well, we saw that Alex really tried her best. She was working really hard,” Mendoza told DAILY TRIBUNE in a phone conversation.

“But as to what was going on the court, that’s something for her and her coach to discuss. She said she’s going to go back and reassess.”

Eala had been expected to compete in the China Open, a WTA 1000 tournament featuring some of the world’s top players, but opted to head to Japan instead in pursuit of a gold and a berth to the 2028 Olymnpics.

The decision also gave her a chance to make history by becoming the first Filipino tennis player since Johnny Jose in 1962 in Jakarta to win an Asian Games medal.

With the Asiad now over, Eala will shift her focus back to the WTA Tour when she competes in the Wuhan Open in China from 12 to 18 October.

Mendoza believes Eala can use the lessons from her Asiad campaign to continue improving as she faces another demanding stretch on the tour.

She also expects the one-week break before Wuhan to benefit the Filipina, allowing her to rest, reflect and prepare for another WTA 1000 event.

“I think the one-week break is going to do her well. Because, of course, she’ll be able to think with no pressure for one week. She’ll just relax first,” Mendoza said.

“Of course, she’ll also train. I’m sure she’ll analyze what she can do to do better in Wuhan because it’s also a 1,000-level event, so there are a lot of rounds. It’s really tiring.”

For Mendoza, the Asiad setback should not diminish what Eala has already accomplished.

Instead, it gives the young Filipina another opportunity to learn, regroup and return to the WTA Tour with renewed focus.