Alex Eala reacts for the first time after winning a bronze medal for the Philippines at the Asian Games

Alex Eala lost to Wang Xiyu in the 2026 Asian Games semi-finals.

The Filipina made a strong start to her Asian Games campaign, defeating Patcharin Cheapchandej and Joanna Garland in straight sets, but came up short in the last four. Xiyu defeated Eala, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Eala shared the Asian Games bronze with Yulia Putintseva, while Zhang Shuai won silver and Xiyu took the gold. After receiving her medal, the Filipina star spoke to the press to share her thoughts.

“I’m happy to be able to bring a bronze to my country and represent in the way that I can. I gave my all out this whole week, and I think I did everything I could. I really felt the support of my teammates; it was just a really special experience,” Eala said during her press conference.

Eala was one of the Philippines’ biggest gold-medal hopes in Aichi-Nagoya, but failed to deliver the title for her country. Carlos Yulo won two golds in gymnastics, EJ Obiena won gold in the pole vault, and Jeus Yape won gold in taekwondo. The Philippines now sit 16th in the gold medal table.

She can still be proud of her efforts, though, after winning the nation’s 28th medal of the Games. Eala’s matches were watched by many in the Philippines after the national broadcaster, ‘Cignal’, travelled to Japan to produce a live feed. Eala was asked about her matches being broadcast during the press conference, as she thanked Filipinos for their support once again.

“I am incredibly grateful for the support of the Filipino people, and I’m happy that they were able to experience and see the matches. In the end, I’m doing this for the country, for my love for tennis, and for my love for the Philippines, so to be able to share it with the Filipino people is very important,” she said.

Eala’s commitment to her country deserves praise, having risked a $10,000 fine for playing in the Asian Games over the mandatory China Open. She is clearly having a positive impact on tennis in her country, as the Philippines are set to host a WTA 250 event in 2027.

The Philippines hosted a WTA 125 tournament earlier this year, which Camila Osorio won after defeating Eala in the quarter-finals. Whether Eala can go all the way in 2027 remains to be seen.

In Aichi-Nagoya, Eala received the ninth medal of her professional career. She won three medals at the 2021 Southeast Asian Games, two medals at the 2022 Asian Games, and three medals at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, before adding another this week.

Eala will have her best chance to win another gold medal in 2027 at the Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia. The Filipina won gold last year, defeating Mananchaya Sawangkaew in the women’s singles final.

Then, she’ll have an opportunity to win the biggest medal of her career at the 2028 Olympic Games. Eala didn’t play in Paris two years ago, but she is likely to qualify for the next Olympics in Los Angeles. The 2028 Olympic tennis event will begin on July 19, the week after Wimbledon.