ALEX Eala knew there would be consequences for choosing the Asian Games over the WTA’s mandatory China Open, but she went to Nagoya anyway.
For the Filipina world No. 18, representing the Philippines on a stage like the Asian Games was worth taking the hit.
After two games in the singles, she's now assured of a medal in the quadrennial meet.
READ: Top-seed Alex Eala dispatches Garland to reach Asian Games semis
“Representing the country and playing these types of games, SEA Games, Asian Games, hopefully the Olympics one day, they’re very close to my heart and a big part of my dreams,” Eala said after beating Chinese Taipei’s Joanna Garland, 7-5, 6-1, on Wednesday to reach the women’s singles semifinals.
The decision meant skipping the mandatory China Open, leaving Eala subject to WTA penalties.
But the 21-year-old made it clear that the choice was not simply about missing another tournament on her schedule. It's all about flying the flag with her teammates turned friends in the national team.
Afterall, she's been alone for the Tour calendar.
“I get to be with my teammates,” she added. “These events are really fun and really competitive and a great experience for me both in terms of learning and just experiencing.”
Eala entered the Asian Games as the top seed and one of the tournament favorites, a far cry from her position in Hangzhou three years ago when she was still an underdog chasing a breakthrough. She delivered with two bronzes.
She has since climbed into the world’s top 20 and now finds herself on the other side of the draw, carrying the expectations that come with being the player to beat.
“I’ve been on both sides, on the kind of underdog side, and then more recently, I’ve been on kind of more of the seeded side,” Eala said. “Each of those situations come with their own set of adversities. Not to say that one is more difficult than the other, it’s just different types.”
“Of course, it’s always better to be on top,” she said. “And at the end of the day, there’s always going to be someone more, someone better than you in tennis and in life.”
For now, Eala is two wins away from an Asian Games gold medal which could be the country's first in women's play.
And while the WTA calendar offered one path, Eala chose the one that allowed her to fly the flag in Nagoya.
Other top players in the region like Elena Rybakina, Naomi Osaka, and Janice Tjenn opted to skip the tournament.
But for the Filipina, the trade-off was clear.
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