Alex Eala begins Asian swing as top seed in WTA 125 Jingshan Open

September 23 ------ JUMPSTARTING her Asian swing in China, Alex Eala takes the spotlight as the top seed of the WTA 125 Jingshan Open. The 20-year-old Filipina, currently ranked No. 58 by the WTA, kicks off her campaign today against Belarus’ Aliona Falei, ranked No. 322. It will be their first career meeting on tour.

Jingshan is already her fifth hard-court stop on the 2025 calendar. She arrives refreshed after a week-long break, having last seen action at the Sao Paulo Open where she reached the quarterfinals before bowing to Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, 4-6, 1-6, on September 13.

That run followed a whirlwind stretch: a quick trip home to the Philippines, her breakthrough WTA 125 title in Guadalajara, and just before that, a learning curve at the US Open where she exited in the round of 64. Her opponent, 21-year-old Falei, is also coming off a quarterfinal finish, although at a lower-tier ITF event in WTT W35.

She lost to Vendula Valdmannova, 5-7, 3-6, last August. A former world no. 173, Falei looks to regain form against Eala. The Jingshan Open sets the tone for Eala’s Asian swing, with more stops expected across the region including Hong Kong in the months ahead. However, Eala wasn't on the start list of the WTA 1000 Beijing Open.

Source: spin.ph