Alex Eala and Shaira Rivera lost to Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan 5-7, 2-6, in the second round of the Asian Games.
The Filipinas exited the competition in round two, losing in straight sets to the seeded Chinese duo. Eala and Rivera appeared to have found a route back into the match when Zhaoxuan required treatment for her back in the second set, but couldn’t capitalise on the injury.
After Rivera hit the ball into the net to hand Zhaoxuan and Xinyu the victory, she sent a heartfelt message to Eala, her doubles partner in Aichi-Nagoya.
Shaira Rivera tells Alex Eala she loves her and thanks her for playing doubles at the Asian Games
“I just want to thank Alex [Eala] for giving me this opportunity to play with her. I’m so grateful for everything, and I love her so much. I think we played good overall,” said Rivera during an interview with ‘One Sports’
Eala then shared her thoughts on the match before commenting on the future of Filipino tennis, with one eye on the 2030 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar.
“Leaving the court with no regrets. Super looking forward to it. I think the future of Filipino tennis is bright, with our two girls and the ones to come afterwards. So I’m looking forward to it, maybe next time with Shaira again – I have no idea. But I would love every opportunity to do that,” she said.
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It’s tough to predict whether Eala will return to the Asian Games in 2030. Eala risked a $10,000 fine for playing in the Asian Games instead of the mandatory China Open. If she wins the gold medal in singles this year, the Filipina may never return to the competition.
That’s not to say doubles gold wasn’t a priority for Eala, though. Eala and Rivera won their opening doubles match in straight sets, and they gave it their all against the Chinese pair. During One Sports’ Asian Games coverage, prominent Filipino coach Roland Kraut delivered his verdict on the Eala/Rivera partnership.
“Not bad at all, especially in the first set. It was just a few points here and there. The Chinese pair weren’t spectacular, but they were very consistent, very basic, and their strategy in what they were doing,” he said.
The Filipino also commented on the medical time-out during the second set, watching Eala grow frustrated as her rival received treatment on court.
“The rule there is she can only ask for one injury timeout on that injury; in this case, I think it’s the lower back, but she can receive treatment in the changeovers, within the one-minute allowed time. I’m sure she’s [Eala] just making it clear how much time, when did it start. Now they have time in the meantime to ask for coaching from their coaches. I’m sure it’s not gamesmanship from the Chinese, because they’re leading anyway,” he said.
Alex Eala and Shaira Rivera at the Asian Games
- 1R [WIN] vs Ching Laam Lai/Kallista Liu, 6-1, 6-3
- 2R [LOSS] vs Jiang Xinyu/Yang Zhaoxuan 5-7, 2-6
The Filipina will now turn her attention to the singles event. Eala defeated Joanna Garland earlier on Wednesday to secure her spot in the semi-finals.
Alex Eala is two wins away from Asian Games gold
Eala must beat Wang Xiyu in the semi-finals and Yulia Putintseva or Zhang Shuai in the final to be crowned the 2026 Asian Games champion.
Asian Games semi-finals
- [1] Alex Eala vs [4] Wang Xiyu
- [3] Yulia Putintseva vs [2] Zhang Shuai
Of the four semi-finalists, Putintseva has performed the best, winning 82% of her games, ahead of Eala (81%), Shuai (75%), and Xiyu (69%), who is also the only player to have lost sets this tournament.
Comparing the Asian Games semi-finalists
| Seed | Player | Country | WTA Ranking | Set (W/L) | Games (W/L) |
| 1 | Alex Eala | Philippines | 18 | 4-0 (100%) | 25-6 (81%) |
| 2 | Zhang Shuai | China | 57 | 4-0 (100%) | 24-8 (75%) |
| 3 | Yulia Putintseva | Kazakhstan | 82 | 6-0 (100%) | 36-8 (82%) |
| 4 | Wang Xiyu | China | 85 | 6-2 (75%) | 43-19 (69%) |
The good news for Eala is that she plays Xiyu next. Having already dropped sets to world number 391 Sonja Zhiyenbayeva and world number 106 Moyuka Uchijima in Aichi-Nagoya, it’s hard to imagine Xiyu holding off a top-20 player in the semis.
Eala and Xiyu will meet in the Asian Games semi-finals on Thursday, October 1. The winner will advance to play Putintseva or Shuai in the final on Friday, October 2.
