Alex Eala says she has “no regrets” from her 2026 season as she hopes to end the campaign on a high at the Hong Kong Open.

Eala enjoyed a strong summer, which included winning the WTA 125 tournament in Birmingham, reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon, and lifting her first WTA Tour title in Washington.

However, since his third round exit at the US Open, the 21-year-old has struggled to string multiple wins together. Indeed, she lost her opening matches in Singapore and Wuhan, but did make the quarter-finals of the Pan Pacific Open this week.

In what is set to be her last tournament of a gruelling season, the Filipina admitted she was proud of her efforts this year, after rising from 50th at the start of 2026 to 18th in the world. And even though she has had some setbacks during the Asian Swing, the left-hander is staying positive as she nears the off-season break.

She told reporters, “The season’s very long, so it’s natural that it goes up and down. But with that being said, I’m super proud of this whole year, even the past couple of weeks; how I’ve been working, how I’ve been training, super proud of that.

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“Coming into the last tournament of the season, with no regrets, I think I’ve done everything that I could have possibly done, I’ve enjoyed [it]. I’m super happy with our results.”

During her rise up the rankings this year, many have predicted she can win Grand Slams and even be a future world No 1 one day. However, many have pointed out that she must improve her serve if she is to do so.

Amid her rise to prominence, the pressure and expectations ratchet up as well, as her army of followers try to spur her on to greater heights. But for Eala, it is about staying grounded and slightly tweaking her expectations.

She added, “I definitely think it was more than I expected to achieve. I think with every milestone that I’ve had this year and throughout the past two years.

“I think the more I realise how difficult it is to achieve said milestones, and hold my position in the rankings, in the tour, and in various places. So really appreciative of the whole journey that I got this season, and the work that my team and I have put in.”

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