Alex Eala will play the final tournament of her 2026 season at the Hong Kong Open.
Eala is the second seed in Hong Kong, with only Sorana Cirstea ranked higher than her at the WTA 250 tournament, showing just how far she has come this year.
The Filipina made her debut at the Hong Kong Open last year, where Eala was unseeded as the world number 51, showing just how far she has come since then.
In the past year, Eala has won her first WTA title at the Washington Open, reached the fourth round of Wimbledon and broken into the top 20. However, Eala has struggled more for results since the US Open, and she has now revealed if she has any regrets when reflecting on her season.
Alex Eala admits she has surprised herself by what she has achieved in 2026
Eala spoke in her pre-tournament press conference ahead of this year’s Hong Kong Open, where she was asked if she had been surprised by the success she had achieved this year.
The 21-year-old responded by admitting that she has achieved more than she expected to, with Eala explaining the new challenges that have been presented to her since she climbed the rankings.
“I definitely think it was more than I expected to achieve,” answered Eala. “I think with each milestone that I’ve had this year and throughout the past two years, I think the more I realised how difficult it is to achieve said milestone and hold my position in the rankings on the tour and various places. So really appreciative of the whole journey that I got this season and the work that my team and I put in.”
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In the final question of the press conference, Eala was asked if she now has greater expectations of herself. Eala explained that while she naturally does expect more of herself now she is higher up in the rankings, she tries to have some perspective throughout the long season and stated that she has no regrets from this year.
“Well, I think that having shown a certain level this year or shown myself that I’m capable of A, B and C, it’s natural I think that expectations rise, but so does the demand in terms of what the sport demands of you and what the level demands of you,” said Eala.
“So although it’s super important to have high standards, it’s also important to be understanding of set demands, to be understanding that I am able to produce a certain level and it takes a lot of work to be able to exert that each and every time, and you want to but like I said the season’s very long so it’s natural that it goes up and down.
“But with that being said, I’m super proud of this whole year, even these last couple of weeks, how I’ve been, how I’ve been working, how I’ve been training. Super proud of that and I think coming into the last tournament of the season with no regrets, I think I’ve done everything that I could have possibly done. I’ve enjoyed, and yeah I’m super happy.”
How did Alex Eala perform at the Hong Kong Open last year?
As previously mentioned, Eala will be making her second appearance at the Hong Kong Open this year, having made her debut at the tournament in 2025.
Eala won her opener in Hong Kong last year after her opponent Katie Boulter retired in the second set, before losing in the second round to her good friend Victoria Mboko.
Mboko would go on to win the title in Hong Kong, but she will not be back to defend her crown in 2026 as she continues to recover from her knee injury that she suffered during the grass court season.
- First Round – Eala beat Katie Boulter, 6-4 2-1 (Boulter retired)
- Second Round – Victoria Mboko (3) beat Eala, 3-6 6-3 6-4
Eala has a much higher status at the Hong Kong Open in 2026 and will be one of the favourites to win the title, as she awaits her first round match against Alycia Parks. This will be the third time that Eala has played Parks this year, with their head-to-head level at 1-1.
Parks beat Eala at the Australian Open earlier this year, before she got revenge recently at the Canadian Open. The third chapter of the head-to-head between Eala and Parks will take place in Hong Kong on Tuesday, November 3.
