Alex Eala eager to play in Asian Games, eyes gold medal

Despite her busy schedule in the pros, Alex Eala remains committed to national team duties as she sets her sights on a much-awaited return to the Philippine squad for the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan this September. “I’m really excited and super motivated, and I’m going to give my best,” said the 21-year-old Filipina during a homecoming event hosted by the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) on Tuesday, July 14, in Makati. “Do you think I’m going for the first round? [Of course I’m going for the gold],” she added. Eala said competing for flag and country is far more different than in the professional circuit. “It’s always an honor. I think it’s different when you play in the Asian, Southeast Asian Games, it’s different, it brings a different vibe than when I competed in the WTA Tour,” the world No. 28 Eala said. “And when I have teammates, like in SEA Games like last year, it was super fun,” she added. Her recent decision aligned with her speech during her visit at the Malacañang Palace on Monday, July 13, where she vowed to “represent the best of our country on and off the court in the best way I possibly can.” “I do my best to represent the best of our country on and off the court because I’m really proud and it comes from a genuine place of love,” Eala said. If schedule permits, this year’s quadrennial meet would be Eala’s second sting after seeing action in the 19th edition held in Hangzhou, China in 2022. In that edition, Eala bagged the women’s singles bronze medal, as well as the mixed doubles bronze with Francis Casey Alcantara. Last year, Eala also represented the country in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand where she captured the women’s singles gold medal and the mixed doubles bronze, also with Alcantara.