Alex Eala has dismissed suggestions that she looked tired after a demanding season, describing fatigue as a positive sign of her workload and recent progress. “If I am tired and I am 17 in the world, that’s great,” she said after her first-round match at the Hong Kong Open.
The 21-year-old had played more than 70 matches this season before beating Emerson Jones 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday. The win came five days after Eala lost to Diana Shnaider in three sets in the quarter-finals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Some online comments during that match suggested she had looked tired.
Eala said that being tired meant she had been working hard, playing many matches and competing regularly. She also noted that she reached a career-high No. 17 in the rankings this week.
Her rise has included breaking into the top 40 in February, the top 30 in March and the top 20 in August. She won her first WTA Tour singles title at the Washington DC Open, reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and the third round of the US Open, and claimed the WTA 125K Birmingham title in June. She also won bronze for the Philippines at the Asian Games in September.
Eala described her 2026 season as “amazing” and “incredible”, adding that she remained motivated to go as far as possible in the Hong Kong tournament.
Sources: Tennis365.