Teqball arrives at Asian Games with Olympic ambitions

Alex Eala, a 21-year-old tennis player from the Philippines, is set to represent her country at the Asian Games in Japan in January. Eala, currently ranked 18th in the world, is a heavy favorite to win gold at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 tournament. However, she may face a significant penalty if the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) denies her exemption from the China Open, a mandatory 1,000-level Masters event in Beijing at the same time as the Games.

The Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) has applied for a waiver, but the outcome is yet to be determined. If Eala skips the China Open, she could be fined $10,000 and face a zero-pointer, which would negatively impact her world ranking.

Despite the potential sanctions, Eala is determined to play at the Asian Games. Philta executive director Tonette Mendoza stated, "Alex will definitely play at the Asian Games regardless of the WTA decision." Eala's teammate and fellow South Asian tennis star, Janice Tjen, had hoped to represent Indonesia at the Games. However, she has decided to prioritize her WTA commitments.

Tjen shared on social media, "After a lot of consideration, I've had to make the difficult decision that I won't be able to compete at the Asian Games this year." Tjen expressed her pride in representing Indonesia and acknowledged the challenging decision she had to make. The two players are scheduled to face each other in a special homecoming match in the Philippines in December, expected to draw a sell-out crowd of 55,000 at Bulacan.