Alexandra Eala handed boost for the Asian Games as her two biggest rivals for the gold medal withdraw
Tennis star Alexandra Eala has withdrawn from the China Open to compete in the Asian Games, prioritizing national duty for the Philippines. Her chances of winning gold have improved following the withdrawal of two top rivals.
Why it matters
Highlights the tension between professional tour commitments and national representation in elite sports.
Alexandra Eala's pride in representing the Philippines is one of the driving factors that has helped her become such a top-ranked superstar.
After all, even before she had truly broken through, the support she garnered was unlike anything the sport had previously seen.
It is therefore completely unsurprising that, whenever she gets the chance, she gives back to her community wholeheartedly.
Eala is playing an exhibition in the Philippines later this year during her off-season, and participated in the new WTA event in Manila earlier this year.
And now, despite the China Open being just around the corner, she has boldly decided against participating in this 1000-level tournament, instead travelling to Nagoya to compete in the Asian Games.
There are fears that Eala could receive a sanction from the WTA for this decision, but she will likely not care.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in