Alex Eala’s Asian Games dream in the balance due to WTA roadblock
Alex Eala’s participation in the Asian Games has been thrown into doubt as the WTA appears to have adopted a strict policy in terms of exemptions for players to compete.
The Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) announced in August that Eala “chose to play for the flag” as she will represent her country at the upcoming tournament in Nagoya, Japan with the organisation’s Secretary General John Rey Tiangco stating: “We’re very excited; it’s confirmed that she is playing the Asian Games.
“We’re very grateful to Alex. She really has a tight schedule. In fact, after the US Open, she’s going to Singapore to play in a WTA 500, and right after Singapore, she has to fly to Nagoya.
“And there are other simultaneous events with the Asian Games, but she chose to play for the flag.”
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Eala herself also confirmed that she would represent her country, saying: “I think it’s a really fun environment and I love being with the team.”
The Asian Games will run from 27 September until 3 October and it clashes with the China Open with the WTA 1000 event starting on 28 September in Beijing.
It is a mandatory WTA 1000 event and players require an exemption from the WTA to skip the tournament, but Eala’s fellow Southeast Asian WTA star Janice Tjen has already confirmed that she won’t be able to play for Indonesia after her request was denied.
“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 which take place at the same time as the mandatory WTA 1000 event in Beijing,” the world No 36 announced in an Instagram.
“We have received confirmation from the WTA that unfortunately, I have not been granted an exemption to compete at the Asian Games.”
Philta has also requested an exemption for Eala – who also missed the China Open last year as she didn’t qualify for the main draw through her ranking – but they are yet to receive feedback from the WTA.
Of course, Eala could still opt to represent her country at the Asian Games even if she gets a “no” from the WTA, but she will then face a potential fine as well as a points deduction in the WTA Rankings.
But Eala might think it is worth the gamble as it is not just a gold medal that is on the line at the Games in Japan as the winner of the singles competition will also qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
