The world No. 19 and 13th seed Alexandra Eala lost to Chinese qualifier Shi Han in the first round of the Wuhan Open on Monday. She had won the opening set 6-4 and even led 3-2 in the second but then dropped seven straight games on the way to losing the next two sets 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and 27 minutes. Eala’s uncle, Noli Eala, has cheered her niece since her junior days, talking about the strenuous schedule, and he has spoken again after the defeat. 

“Magnificent performance by no. 217 Shi Han vs no. 19 Alex Eala in Wuhan,” The former PBA commissioner wrote on X later that night. “The 21 yo Chinese qualifier had winner after winner. Terrific composure. Alex meantime was simply outplayed. Just not the usual spunk or energy in her game. Time for Alex to really regroup. Very disappointing loss.”

Shi, 21 and ranked 217th, picked up the first win of her career over a top-20 player and her first main-draw win at a WTA 1000 event. Shi hit 31 winners to Eala’s 20 and served four aces to none, while the Filipino made 37 unforced errors.

“Despite the disappointment, there’s still so much going for Alex. She has a terrific team working with her, a wonderful support group and most of all, she has time on her side. Lots of time to figure this out. I’m certainly not losing hope cause I know Alex is a fighter. Laban lang!” Noli added. The phrase he used to sign off is Filipino for keep fighting. 

In August, after Eala lost to Belinda Bencic at the Canadian Open, he wrote about how heavy her schedule has become and compared her to a drained battery. The Wuhan loss was her early exit on the WTA Tour, after a defeat to Tatiana Prozorova in Singapore. In between, she chose the Asian Games over the China Open and settled for bronze, where she was clearly expected to make a bid for the Gold. 

Despite the losses, the reaction from the people back in her country has been active and positive, and it has come beyond her family as well.

Filipino support pours in as Eala looks ahead

Dr. Tony Leachon, a physician who served as a special adviser to the Philippines’ national task force against COVID-19 in 2020, published an open letter to Eala on X. He wrote that he was not disappointed but had immense respect for the 21-year-old Filipino. He recalled the losses in Singapore, the Asian Games, and now Wuhan and said that those were chapters in a long story and that they do not define her. 

He also reminded her that even the greatest players go through slumps, and during that time she should rely on her mentors and team. He closed with a short message of his own. 

“Alex, keep fighting. Keep dreaming. Keep believing.” Leachon framed her as a symbol of Filipino pride, which shows how much national weight she carries at just 21.

After the Wuhan exit, in the press conference, Eala opened up about what she is playing for. 

“The most I can do, I feel at the moment, is to give back to my country and to my fellow Filipinos,” Eala stated. “Just do my best and, you know, continue to work hard and try to inspire people and show them that this possible just through the things that I do.” It is a mission in line with her choice to play the Asian Games, even though it meant skipping the China Open.

“And so what I’m going to try to do is take it match by match and try to, you know, focus one step at a time and try to bring out the best level that I can bring out,” she added. 

Eala still has doubles in Wuhan, where she and Zeynep Sonmez face Anhelina Kalinina and Dayana Yastremska on Tuesday. The next event is the Ningbo Open from October 19. 

2026 has been a breakthrough season for her. She won her first WTA Tour title in Washington, beating Jessica Pegula in the final. She reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, where she beat defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round. Those were the reasons why the Asian Swing has been a surprise.