SINGAPORE — Filipina tennis standout Alex Eala remains focused on her upcoming campaign in the 20th Asian Games despite an early departure from the WTA 500 Singapore Open.
The 21-year-old world No. 18 suffered a Round of 16 loss to Russia’s Tatiana Prozorova, falling 6-4, 5-7, 3-6 in her opening match following a layoff after the US Open. Reflecting on her time in the city-state, Eala expressed gratitude on social media.
“Never a dull moment in SG???????? Always a pleasure @sgtennisopen ???? Come back stronger lah,” Eala posted.
Looking ahead to the quadrennial meet in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, Eala aims to build on her dual bronze-medal performance from the 2023 Hangzhou Games. Team Philippines is seeking its first tennis gold medal since Desideria Ampon claimed silver at the 1958 Tokyo Games.
“Yeah, I think once you compete and like I said, once you’re in the draw you have the chance,” Eala said regarding her gold medal pursuit. “Do my best, of course now process the loss and all sight set on Nagoya.”
Meanwhile, Prozorova’s tournament run ended abruptly after she was forced to concede a walkover in the semifinals. The Russian player sustained an injury from a smash during a doubles match with partner Sofya Lansere against Miyu Kato and Ellen Perez.
Prozorova later clarified that the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) mandated her withdrawal and enforced a mandatory six-day rest period, which also rules her out of the Beijing Open.
“The decision really upset me [as] my dream week came to an end today. It seems to me that [WTA] needs to reconsider [their] own rules,” Prozorova wrote on Instagram. “A system that renders players absolutely helpless.”