Alex Eala bows out of Wuhan qualifiers, eyes rebound at Japan Open

Alex Eala’s Asian swing has become less about quick wins and more about endurance, resilience, and lessons in the margins of victory.

The 20-year-old Filipino tennis star bowed out of the Wuhan Open qualifiers on Saturday, October 4, with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 defeat to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima.Despite forcing a decider, Eala fell behind early in the third set and never recovered, even calling a medical timeout as the toll of a demanding schedule caught up with her.

The setback came just 24 hours after a gut-wrenching quarterfinal exit at the Suzhou Open WTA 125, where she stood two points away from a semifinal berth. Facing Swiss veteran Viktorija Golubic, Eala recovered from a shaky start and had match point at 40-15 while serving at 6-5 in the deciding set. But Golubic clawed back, dragged the contest into a tiebreak, and stunned the Filipino by sweeping it 7-0 in a two-hour-and-21-minute dogfight.

That near-miss was particularly painful because it came on the heels of a breakthrough at the Jingshan Open the previous week. 

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Alex Eala exits the Wuhan Open qualifiers after an opening-round loss to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, 4–6, 6-3, 2-6.

Alexandra will look to bounce back at the Japan Open, set to take place from October 13 to 19. pic.twitter.com/vZLwcrWBLB

— ALEX EALA 🅽🅴🆆🆂 (@EalaAlexandra) October 4, 2025

There, Eala put together a strong run to the semifinals, toppling opponents, before bowing out to eventual finalist Lulu Sun of New Zealand. 

It was a confidence-boosting campaign, showing she could grind through long matches and hold her own against higher-ranked players.

But that momentum has come with a price. Since Jingshan, Eala has played five straight three-set matches—each one a taxing battle that tested her conditioning and her ability to stay mentally sharp deep into contests. 

While her fight has been unquestionable, the string of close calls has also exposed the razor-thin line between victory and defeat on the WTA Tour.

Still, the world No. 58 has shown growth in composure and shot-making, attributes that bode well as she continues her Asian circuit. Next up is the Japan Open, followed by stops in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, where she will look to turn her grit into breakthroughs.

For Eala, the stretch has not just been about survival—it has been about learning how to finish, how to recover, and how to keep swinging despite the bruises. And with each match, win or lose, the 19-year-old is sharpening herself for the bigger stages she is determined to reach.

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