Filipino tennis superstar Alex Eala is set to skip the 2026 China Open to represent the Philippines in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The quadrennial event commences on September 19, 2026, with the opening ceremony taking place at the Mizuho Park Athletics Stadium.
Photo: Alex Eala/Instagram
Eala’s commitment to participate in Aichi-Nagoya 2026 was confirmed by Philippine Tennis Association secretary-general John Rey Tiangco during a press conference at the Alex Eala Live: Game. Set. Celebrate. event.
”We’re very excited, and it’s confirmed that she is playing in the Asian Games. We’re very grateful to Alex—she has a tight schedule,” Tiangco said.
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Eala was forced to make the choice after the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 tournament in Beijing was scheduled for September 30, 2026, conflicting directly with the Asian Games schedule.
While skipping the China Open could potentially impact Eala’s WTA ranking and lead to financial or ranking penalties, competing in the 2026 Asian Games offers the 21-year-old tennis star a chance to secure a direct ITF qualification spot for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics—provided she remains in the top 400 of the WTA singles rankings on the official Olympic cutoff date.
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The last time Eala competed in the Asian Games was in 2023 in Hangzhou, China, where she won bronze medals in both mixed doubles and women’s singles after losing in the semi-finals to the host country’s contender and eventual champion, Zheng Qinwen.
Alex Eala back on the court
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Three years later, Eala met Zheng again in the early rounds of the Mubadala DC Open.
Avenging her Hangzhou defeat, the 5-foot-9 Filipina athlete ousted Zheng in the Round of 32 before storming through the draw. She capped off her run by defeating top-seeded Jessica Pegula in the championship match on August 4, 2026, capturing her landmark first WTA 500 title.
Unfortunately, fans will not see a rematch between the two stars in Aichi-Nagoya, as the Chinese Tennis Association opted to send Zheng to the China Open instead.
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Meanwhile, Eala just finished competing at the US Open and will make one more stop in Southeast Asia to compete in the Singapore Open from September 21 to 27, 2026, before heading to Japan.
Despite her commitment to the WTA 500 event in Singapore, Eala can still join the Asian Games, as the tennis tournament does not begin until late September. However, the overlap confirms she will miss the opening ceremony in Nagoya.
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While the full official roster of participating athletes and specific match schedules for the Asian Games have yet to be finalized, competition matches are set to take place at the newly renovated Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.
ALSO READ: Alex Eala Is Now Southeast Asia’s Highest Ranked Female Tennis Player
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