Alex Eala will aim to bring more success to the Philippines as he competes in the 20th Asian Games to be held in Japan.
The 21-year-old, fresh off a breakthrough grass-court campaign at Wimbledon in which he became the first Filipino player in the Open Era to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam, admitted that the Asian Games later this year remain part of his plans, provided it does not conflict with his commitments on the WTA Tour.
“The Asian Games are in my plans,” Eala said Tuesday at a media opportunity hosted by the Bank of the Philippine Islands.
“It’s always an honor. I think it’s different when you play in the Asian Games or the Southeast Asian Games (because) it brings a different atmosphere than when I was on the WTA Tour.”
Timing works in Ila’s favor, with the Asian Games in Aichi/Nagoya, Japan, scheduled for September 19 to October 4, a few days after the U.S. Open, and potentially starting with the Singapore Open.
The China Open, which will be held from September 30 to October 11, coincides with the continental tournament, but the unfinished business at the Asian Games may be enough motivation for Ila to play for the national team.
At the 2023 Hangzhou Games, Ila, who was only 18 years old at the time, won two bronze medals and had one of the best performances in Philippine tennis history. One was in women’s singles after reaching the semi-finals, and the other was in mixed doubles, where she won bronze alongside Frances Casey Alcantara.
These podium finishes were historic, but at the same time Ila was hungry for more challenges.
Regarding her upcoming participation in the Asian Games, she said, “I’m really excited and very motivated. I’m going to do my best.”
Eala’s national team commitment follows a landmark 2026 campaign that established her as one of Asia’s best tennis players.
She won the biggest title of her career at the WTA Tour’s Birmingham Open, reached the semifinals of the Berlin Open with wins over Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina, and made history at Wimbledon by becoming the first Filipino in the Open era to reach the round of 16.
These performances propelled her to a career-high No. 28 in the WTA rankings and positioned her as one of the Philippines’ brightest gold medal candidates heading into the Asian Games.
Eala said representing the Philippines is one of the driving forces behind her career and that mindset has made her one of the country’s most beloved sports icons of her generation.
“I carry this flag with me wherever I go,” she said at an event celebrating her homecoming on Monday at Manila’s Malacañang Palace, where she received the Presidential Citation from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday.
“I strongly believe that where you come from is a big part of who you are. I do my best to represent my country on and off the court because I’m really proud and it comes from a place of genuine love.”
