Alex Eala Wins Her Spot in the Asian Games Quarterfinals

Alex Eala opened her campaign at the 20th Asian GamesAsian GamesA multi-sport event held every four years for athletes across Asia, second in scale only to the Olympics on the continent. For Filipino fans, it is a major stage whereGo to Asian Games Glossary with an electrifying second-round win over Thailand’s No. 510 Patcharin Cheapchandej, 6-1, 6-0, on Monday, September 28, 2026, at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Nagoya, Japan.

Hour-long delays and a venue change that limited fan access did not stop the top seed from smashing through Cheapchandej’s smart returns and backhand slices for a straight-set win that secured her quarterfinals spot at the women’s singles event.

Eala won her first WTA title at the Washington Open in August, which lifted her to a career-high world No. 18 and earned her the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye at this year’s Asian Games.

It was Eala and Cheapchandej’s first match since the 2022 ITF W25 event in Chiang Rai, Thailand, where Eala beat the Thai player 6-3, 6-4 in the round of 16.

The win also shook off the Philippine ace’s early exit at the Singapore Open after a three-hour upset loss to Russia’s Tatiana Prozorova, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, at the OCBC Arena last Thursday, September 24, 2026.

This only marks the beginning of Eala’s quest for gold, as a tough seeded opponent awaits if No. 8 seed Joanna Garland of Taiwan beats Iran’s Mandegar Farzami for the spot in the final eight.

Meanwhile, Eala will be making her women’s doubles debut at the 20th Asian Games alongside University of West Alabama standout Shaira Hope Rivera in the first-round match against Hong Kong’s Lai Ching Laam and Kallista Liu.

Eala aims to surpass her bronze medals in singles and mixed doubles at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian GamesAsian GamesA multi-sport event held every four years for athletes across Asia, second in scale only to the Olympics on the continent. For Filipino fans, it is a major stage whereGo to Asian Games Glossary. She also hopes to join gymnast Carlos Yulo among the Philippines’ Asian Games gold medalists and build momentum toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.