Representing the Philippines in the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games wasn’t a hard decision for Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala.
Eala has competed in all four Grand Slams and several Masters tournaments, but playing for flag and country certainly brings a different appeal and sense of pride, which seeing action in any major can’t replicate.
“I love playing and competing with the Philippine team. I think it’s a really fun environment. I love being with the team, especially this last SEA Games in December, I had such a great time, and I think that they’re really memories that stick with me,” she said in a press conference following a loss to Iva Jovic in the third round of the US Open on Sunday in New York.
“The Asian Games happens once every four years, and I just found myself drawn to competing in that aside from other stuff,” added Eala, who handily won the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) gold last year in Thailand.
Eala, who is having her best season yet, was asked about her decision to see action in the Japan Asiad, which coincides with the WTA 1000 China Open in Beijing.
The World No. 18 Eala will be the favorite to win the women’s singles title in the Asian Games and bring home the country’s first-ever gold in the event.
The last time a Filipino won gold in tennis was at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta when Johnny Jose ruled the men’s singles competition.
Eala made her Asiad debut in the pandemic-delayed Hangzhou Games in 2023, where she bagged bronze medals in women’s singles and mixed doubles.