Alex Eala deserves credit for recent scheduling decision which could see her fined by the WTA Tour
Alex Eala began her US Open campaign with a win, but the rest of her WTA Tour schedule is also coming together behind the scenes.
The Filipina star defeated Mary Stoiana in straight sets at the US Open to set up a second round match with Oleksandra Oliynykova in New York.
The 21-year-old also has her eyes on the WTA Tour’s Asian swing following the US Open and she has already signed up to the Singapore Open, which begins on September 21st.
However, Eala has decided not to play one of the biggest Asian events on the WTA Tour calendar.
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Eala has not appeared on the entry list for the WTA 1000 event, the China Open, at the end of September, despite it being a mandatory tournament.
That’s because Eala has decided to represent the Philippines instead at the Asian Games, which takes place between the 19th September and the 4th October.
Players who skip events without a valid medical reason or fail to meet promotional requirements face direct cash fines, so it just goes to show how much the star wants to play for her country.
This is not the first time Eala has opted to represent her country on one of the biggest stages either, as she won multiple medals at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games too.
Eala won gold in the singles at the SEA Games, as well as a bronze in the mixed doubles, and she could be set to earn more accolades at the Asian Games.
Eala did not play the China Open last year so she will not be defending any ranking points, but the star should be applauded for playing for her country instead of the WTA Tour.
The star currently sits at world No 16 in the WTA Tour rankings, which could continue to climb depending on how she performs at the US Open this year.
With essentially a free hit at the China Open, the star could have made her top 10 debut at the Masters tournament.
Instead, she has opted to forgo her singles career for a couple of weeks in order to help her country perform well on one of the biggest stages in sport.
In a sport dominated by money and sponsorships, Eala is forging her own path and she absolutely deserves credit for the decision she has made.
Eala will likely return to the WTA Tour at the Wuhan Open, the last Masters tournament on the calendar, which is set to begin on October 12th and run until October 18th.
