Alex Eala is currently in action at the 2026 US Open, but the Filipina superstar recently made a big decision about her schedule following the season’s final major.
It was confirmed last week that Eala will represent the Philippines at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
John Rey Tiangco, the Philippine Tennis Association Secretary General, said: “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. Very proud, very happy that she can represent the Philippines.”
The tennis event at the Asian Games, which will run from 27 September to 3 October, will clash with the 2026 China Open (30 September to 11 October).
Eala is, therefore, set to miss the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, which could see her face penalties due to the WTA Tour’s mandatory tournament rules.
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Which WTA Tour events are mandatory?
The four Grand Slams and the 10 WTA 1000 events are all categorised as mandatory tournaments by the WTA Tour.
Therefore, players who are ranked high enough are expected to compete in all of these tournaments.
The 10 current WTA 1000 level tournaments are: Doha, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Rome, Canada, Cincinnati, Beijing and Wuhan.
In addition to these 14 big events, players are expected to play at least six WTA 500 tournaments.
Most WTA Tour players are, therefore, expected to play a minimum of 20 tournaments in a season — or 21 if they qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals, as this is also a mandatory event.
What punishments can players face for missing mandatory events?
The penalties for missing mandatory WTA tournaments range from ranking point deductions to fines.
The 18 best tournament results that players achieve in a 12-month period – or 19 in the case of WTA Finals qualification – are used to calculate their WTA ranking, with an emphasis on the Slams and combined 1000 events.
Players that fail to meet the WTA’s requirements for the minimum number of mandatory events played in a season can be punished by ranking ‘zero-pointers.’
A zero-pointer is where zero ranking points are added to a player’s ranking for a mandatory event they miss, while the points they had earned at another tournament are removed — to fit the total of 18 events — causing a reduction to a player’s ranking points total.
Iga Swiatek was on the receiving end of this zero-pointer punishment in 2024 after falling short of the WTA 500 tournament quota, and it caused the Pole to lose the world No 1 ranking.
What are the exemptions for missing mandatory events?
Exemptions for skipping any of the 10 WTA 1000 events are usually only granted for injuries or other valid medical reasons.
Players can also cite a personal matter as a reason for being unable to compete in mandatory tournaments.
Given the special nature of competing at the Asian Games, it is possible that Eala could be given an exemption from penalties for missing the China Open.
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