Alex Eala will have to settle for a second consecutive Asian Games bronze medal after the top seed lost to Wang Xiyu in the women's singles semi-finals in Nagoya on Thursday.
The Filipina world No 18 failed to build on winning the opening set and was beaten 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 by her Chinese opponent at Higashiyama Park Tennis Centre. A gold medal would also have guaranteed Eala a place in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
It means that China will be guaranteed gold as Wang will take on countrywoman and veteran Shuai Zhang in the final on Friday.
Eala had already been knocked out of the women's doubles, alongside Shaira Rivera, in the second round as they lost 7-5, 6-2 to Chinese duo Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan.
The 21-year-old insisted she had no regrets about missing the China Open to represent the Philippine, despite a possible $10,000 fine and ranking penalty for opting out of the mandatory WTA event.
“I’m really happy to have experienced this, to experience the support … and to be with the team and, yeah, to compete for the country,” she said after the match.
“[Wang] was more consistent. I had a couple of ups and downs during the match, which is something I have to talk to my team about and process.”
At the 2022 Asian Games semi-finals in Hangzhou, Eala was beaten by another Chinese player to eventual champion Zheng Qinwen 6-1, 6-7, 6-3. She also won a bronze in the mixed doubles alongside Francis Alcantara.
Eala has already enjoyed a historic 2026 when she became the first Filipino to win a WTA Tour-level singles title when she triumphed in August's Washington Open. Her No 18 ranking meant she had become the highest-ranked woman from Southeast Asia in tennis history.
At this year's Wimbledon, Eala produced her best run at a Grand Slam after reaching Round 4 having defeated six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek on Centre Court along the way.
World No 85 Wang, meanwhile, will face a tough battle in the final when the 25-year-old takes on former Wimbledon and Australian Open quarter-finalist Zhang, who defeated Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 6-4, 6-2 in her last-four match.
Zhang, 37, has 22 WTA titles to her name – to Wang's one – with three singles and 19 doubles, including three Grand Slam crowns in the latter where she has also reached a career-high ranking of No 2. She has also won two silver medals and one gold at the Asian Games.
“I always feel like this may be my last Games. But look, aren’t I here again?” Zhang said. “As long as you don’t give up on yourself, no one else in this world can give you that death sentence.”
