Alex Eala will now have at least an extra week away from tennis as WTA rankings updated

Alex Eala took a couple of big risks to represent the Philippines at the Asian Games in Japan in September and October, and is set to pay the price by missing out on the WTA Finals.

Tennis star Eala elected to play at the Asian Games at the expense of the China Open, which is a mandatory WTA 1000 event and therefore presented the prospect of a $10,000 fine from the Women's Tennis Association.

The 21-year-old, a promising prospect in women's tennis, committed to the Asian Games knowing that she would miss out on Beijing and any subsequent world rankings points. Without them, she has now missed the cut for the WTA Finals.

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Alex Eala pays the price for Philippines decision

The latest update of the live WTA rankings places Eala 17th in the world.

Crucially, she is a long way short of the cut-off tally of 5,740 points for qualification for the WTA Finals in November and it is now impossible for her to make the grade.

As it stands, only Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka have fully locked in their spots in the top eight who will compete at Indian Wells next month, but the updated live rankings put Mirra Andreeva, Jessica Pegula, and Coco Gauff over the line with them.

The WTA Finals is the last championship of the WTA Tour season and stands out as the top ranking event in terms of both points and prize money outside the four Grand Slam events.

As well as the top seven players in the world, the highest-ranked Grand Slam winner in the top 20 but outside the top seven is awarded a wildcard spot.

The only player who could be eligible for that spot in a year dominated by Rybakina, Sabalenka and Andreeva is Wimbledon winner Linda Noskova. As it stands, she occupies eighth place in the live WTA rankings anyway.

Rybakina, the world number one and already a confirmed competitor in 2026, won the 2025 championship by beating rival Sabalenka in the final.

It was Sabalenka's second career loss in the WTA Finals final.

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Alex Eala claims bronze at the Asian Games

Eala's absence was confirmed by her participation in the Asian Games in Nagoya.

The Filipina made her decision with open eyes and ended the tournament with a bronze medal to show for her choice.

She won her second round and quarter-final matches without dropping a set, before losing 6-3, 3-6, 2-6 to eventual championship winner Wang Xiyu in the last four.

Eala shared bronze with Yulia Putintseva, who lost the other semi-final against Zhang Shuai.

At the beginning of August, she beat Pegula in the final of the Washington Open WTA 500 to claim the first ranking event championship of her career.

Despite that boost, the remaining schedule doesn't leave Eala enough of the season to make the cut.

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