By el Amigo
Alex Eala’s quest for a place in the Asian Games women’s singles final ended with a three-set defeat to China’s Wang Xiyu on Thursday.
The top-seeded Eala took the opening set, 6-3, but Wang recovered to win the next two, 6-3, 6-2, and advance to the championship match in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Eala made a blistering start, racing to a 5-0 lead before Wang mounted a comeback. The Chinese player won three straight games, but Eala regrouped to take the opening frame.
The momentum shifted in the second set as Wang established a 5-1 lead. Eala fought back to 5-3 but could not stop Wang from forcing a decider.
Eala briefly went ahead in the third set, but Wang answered immediately. She eventually opened a 4-1 lead and maintained control until the finish.
The loss assures Eala of another Asian Games singles bronze, matching her semifinal finish in Hangzhou three years ago.
Eala and Rivera were also eliminated from the women’s doubles competition in the second round. The Filipinas were beaten by China’s Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan, 5-7, 2-6.
Still, the Asian Games campaign comes amid a standout year for Eala.
TIME recently named the 21-year-old to its TIME100 Next 2026, an annual list recognizing emerging figures making an impact in their respective fields. Eala was selected under the Innovators category and emerged as the lone tennis player on the list.
Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion, wrote the tribute accompanying Eala’s TIME100 Next profile.
The singles defeat also ends Eala’s chance to secure the Asian Games qualification route toward Los Angeles 2028, which is tied to winning the singles title under the required conditions.
