Will Alex Eala alter Asian swing schedule after China Open revelation?

Oli Dickson Jefford 18 Sep 2025 10:00 AM

Pictured: Alex Eala during her match.

Alex Eala has been one of the biggest breakout stars of the 2025 WTA Tour season, and the tennis trailblazer will look to finish her season on a high with a strong Asian swing.

Taking some time off after a busy spell which saw her win her first Grand Slam match at the US Open, win the biggest title of her career at the WTA 125 Guadalajara Open, and then reach the last eight of the SP Open, Eala is set to return to action next week.

However, the Filipina’s schedule could now alter after movements within the tour over the past day or so; here, we look at the options available to Eala as she plots her path across the next few weeks.

What could change?

Eala is currently set to start her Asian swing at the WTA 125 Jingshan Tennis Open, which takes place from September 22-28 in Hubei Province.

Following her Jingshan campaign, the 20-year-old is then in line to compete at a second WTA 125 event of the swing at the Suzhou Ladies Open, which takes place from September 29 – October 5.

It has also now been confirmed that Eala will enter the Hong Kong Tennis Open, a WTA 250-level event which starts at the end of October.

However, there is now an avenue for Eala to potentially remove one or both WTA 125-level events from her schedule and instead play at the China Open in Beijing.

The China Open is arguably the most prestigious event of the Asian swing and is one of the biggest events on the WTA calendar, with the event one of just two WTA 1000 events left to play on tour this year.

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Initially, Eala was not ranked high enough to enter the main draw of the competition when the entry cut-off was made six weeks before the event, which likely factored into her decision to enter the Jingshan Open instead.

However, following a string of withdrawals — most recently, that of world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka — Eala is now able to enter the main draw directly, without having to contest qualifying.

What decision will Eala make?

Entering the China Open could be a case of ‘risk or reward’ for Eala.

The Filipina would earn 125 ranking points by winning the WTA 215 event in Jingshan, and, as by far and away the highest-ranked player, she will be the heavy favourite to triumph if she does play.

In contrast, Eala would need to reach the fourth round of the China Open to earn 120 ranking points at the WTA 1000 tournament, and would be forced to play against much stronger opposition.

However, from a prize money perspective, Eala would be more rewarded for playing in Beijing than in Jingshan, with WTA 1000 events naturally offering greater financial incentives than a smaller event.

The main draw of the China Open begins on September 24th, meaning that the Filipina could still go on to enter the tournament in Suzhou should she lose early on in Beijing.

Several other players have already made the decision to enter both Beijing and Suzhou as a backup should they fall early, and it will be intriguing to see what choice Eala now makes.