Alex Eala made her Asian Games opener look easy. The road to gold is about to get harder.
The Filipina top seed needed only 55 minutes to dismiss Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej, 6-1, 6-0, on Monday, September 28, in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Despite a rain delay that moved play indoors, Eala gave up just one game on her way to the women’s singles quarterfinals.
Her next opponent, Joanna Garland of Chinese Taipei, presents a bigger test. Victory would send Eala into the semifinals and secure her at least a bronze medal. But after winning two bronzes at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, Eala has made clear she wants to go further this time.
The gold medal carries another incentive: the women’s singles champion could earn a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, subject to qualification requirements. For Eala, that gives every round in Japan weight beyond this week’s podium.
Her decision to play in the Asian Games also means missing the China Open, a mandatory WTA 1000 event for players covered by its participation rules. The Philippine Tennis Association has asked the WTA for an exemption. Former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski has voiced support for Eala’s choice, but his expectation that she will avoid a fine is an opinion, not an announced WTA decision.
Eala has already shown she can handle a disrupted schedule and close out an overmatched opponent. Against Garland, she gets the chance to show something more: that her gold medal bid is ready for the pressure of a knockout match.
