Alex Eala has learned her path to the Gold medal match at the upcoming Asian Games.
The 21-year-old did not get the ideal preparation for the Aichi-Nagoya-based competition, which runs from 27 September to 3 October, after losing to world No 180 Tatiana Prozorova in her opening match at the Singapore Open on Thursday.
Eala suffered a 6-4, 5-7, 3-6 defeat in a match that lasted more than three hours, looking rusty in what was her first match back on the WTA Tour after losing to Iva Jovic in the third round at the US Open on 6 September.
Following the defeat, she said, “I think Tatiana [Prozorova] played really well today. But yeah, first I think I have to, like every loss, accept the fact that maybe she performed better today, and then take the time to analyse, take the time to learn.
“I fought; I did everything I could on the court, but I think with my team it’s just going to be… We didn’t perform how we wanted, because of A, B, and C, and then get back on court and work on A, B, and C. Try to do better for the next match.”
Now, the left-hander will prepare for the Asian Games, where she is the top seed. On Friday, the draw was announced, with Eala, who receives a first-round bye, potentially facing world No 510 Patcharin Cheapchandej in the second round.
Taiwanese star Joanne Garland could await in the quarter-finals, while world No 84 Xiyu Wang may be waiting for her in the last four.
If the two top seeds make it to the final, Eala will face off against world No 55 Shuai Zhang, with the winner guaranteeing themselves a spot in the women’s singles event at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Asian Games draw and it’s a great one! (too bad there’s no steam)
Top seeds:
[1] Eala 🇵🇭
[2] Zhang 🇨🇳
[3] Putintseva 🇰🇿
[4] Wang Xiyu 🇨🇳 pic.twitter.com/vTCe5yO3eb
— moonball enthusiast (@ninjaga20) September 25, 2026
