Threat of sanction for the new sensation of women’s tennis

Behind him US Openthe women’s circuit faces its final stretch, marked by the dispute of the last two Premier 1000 of the season: Beijing and Wuhan.

The first of them, the China Open is mandatory and the players are exposed to a sanction by the WTA in case of withdrawal without justified cause.

It could be the case of Alexandra Eala, who has decided to compete on those dates in the Asian Games of Nagoya (Japan), whose opening ceremony will take place this weekend.

“Alex will definitely play in the Asian Games, regardless of the WTA decision“, declared the executive director of the Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA), Tonette Mendoza, in a statement last Tuesday, where she explained that the Association had already asked the circuit not to sanction the player for resigning from the tournament to represent her country.

Eala, considered the new icon of Philippine tennis, refused to participate in the China Open, WTA 1000 tournament to compete in the Nagoya event with the rest of the Philippine delegation. This tournament will start on September 27 and will continue until October 3, a week after the official start of the Games.

Regarding the exemption request, PHILTA continues without “receiving any response”said Mendoza, who avoided making comparisons with similar cases such as that of Indonesian Janice Tjen, who was denied a similar exemption by the WTA.

The player, 21 years old, could face a fine of up to $10,000 for failing to appear at the competition in Beijingaccording to WTA regulations, in addition to a penalty in the ranking, where she currently occupies 18th place.

For its part, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) joined the appeal to the WTA. “Our flags are raised and our athletes are ready,” he declared in a statement this Thursday, after attending the competition’s flag-raising ceremony.

After her victory at the Washington Open last August, the tennis player with “ruffled socks and chubby cheeks”, as she once described herself, has gained the support of thousands of Filipinos, a country that has not traditionally been closely linked to this racket sport, but which with the rise of Eala is beginning to emerge.

The 20th edition of the Asian Games will be held from September 19 to October 4, while the China Open 2026 will be played from September 30 to October 11.