Philippine tennis star Alex Eala’s hopes of winning the women’s singles gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games came to an end on Thursday after China’s Wang Xiyu defeated her 3–6, 6–3, 6–2 in a dramatic semi-final at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center. Eala, the tournament’s top seed, will instead take home a bronze medal, while Wang advances to an all-Chinese final against Zhang Shuai.
Eala made an impressive start to the contest, quickly establishing control in the opening set and taking it 6–3. Wang, however, gradually found her rhythm and changed the direction of the match in the second set. The Chinese player levelled the contest 6–3 before taking control of the deciding set and completing the comeback 6–2.
The result was particularly significant because Eala had been chasing more than an Asian Games medal. A victory in the women’s singles competition would have earned the champion a qualification place for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Eala’s semi-final defeat therefore ended both ambitions in the same match.
Despite the disappointment, Eala’s run to the semi-finals secured her another Asian Games singles bronze medal. She had also won bronze in the singles competition at the previous Games in Hangzhou, while also taking a mixed doubles bronze.
The 21-year-old arrived in Nagoya after making a significant decision to represent the Philippines at the Asian Games rather than compete at the China Open. That choice meant giving up an opportunity to earn ranking points and prize money at the WTA event and potentially facing consequences from the tour.
Eala nevertheless said she had no regrets about choosing to compete for her country. She highlighted the experience of representing the Philippines and the support she received during the competition.
Her Asian Games campaign had begun with a convincing victory over Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej before she defeated Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland in the quarter-finals to reach the last four. The quarter-final victory had guaranteed Eala at least a bronze medal.
The semi-final loss also continued a remarkable year for Eala. In August, she became the first Filipino player to win a WTA singles title, adding another major achievement to her growing professional career.
For Wang, Thursday’s victory represents an opportunity to fight for the Asian Games title. The Chinese player, ranked outside the top 80 in the world, will meet compatriot Zhang Shuai in the final after Zhang defeated Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva.
Although Eala’s gold-medal campaign is over, her bronze medal gives the Philippines another podium finish and adds to her record at the Asian Games. Attention will now turn to the remainder of her professional season and her next tournament commitments.
