Alex Eala exited the 20th Asian Games without the finish she wanted, and a missed opportunity left the Philippines without one of its bright gold medal hopes.
But settling for a bronze did not diminish Eala’s faith in her improving game, nor did it dent the optimism of Team Philippines’ gold chase.
Eala bowed out in the women’s singles semifinals after a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss to China’s Wang Xiyu at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.
‘I feel like I have no regrets. I think physically I’m better, more mature, more experienced,’ Eala said. ‘I think everything all around has improved.’
The bronze added to Eala’s Asian Games medal collection while contributing to a Philippine campaign that had produced 22 medals as of Thursday evening.
Team Philippines stood at three golds, five silvers and 14 bronzes, with Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino still hopeful of a late push before the Games close Sunday.
‘We still have three chances to pray in church before Sunday,’ Tolentino said. ‘Last three days, still hoping for more golds.’
The POC chief pointed to several remaining events as possible medal sources, including boxing, judo, jiu-jitsu, golf, padel and team sports.
‘That’s how it is. Some fall, others step up,’ Tolentino said. ‘God willing, we still have other sources.’
‘We should be able to surpass four,’ he added, referring to the four golds that the country won in Hangzhou three years ago.
But the one gold the Philippines would have celebrated wildly disappeared during a semifinal that swung dramatically after Eala claimed the opening set.
‘I had a couple of ups and downs during the match,’ Eala said. ‘That’s something I have to talk about with my team and process.’
The 21-year-old Filipino had opportunities to reach the final but could not hold off Wang after the Chinese player recovered from losing the first set.
Eala nevertheless saw her latest Asian Games appearance as another measure of the progress she has made since her previous campaign.
One of the highlights of her stay in Nagoya came when she learned that tennis great Rafael Nadal, her longtime mentor and inspiration, had written about her after she was named to TIME’s TIME100 Next 2026 list, which recognizes emerging figures in various fields.
‘I’m so incredibly honored, and even more so that Rafa himself wrote a piece, so I’m thankful,’ Eala said. ‘It’s a humbling experience to be among the list of people who are super inspiring, so I’m very grateful.’