Alex Eala Overcomes Injury to Cruise Into Philippine

FILIPINA tennis star Alex Eala showed both skill and grit on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, as she swept past Russia's Alina Charaeva in the opening round of the first-ever Philippine Women’s Open.

Playing in front of a packed home crowd, Eala secured a dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory, proving how much she has grown since losing to Charaeva six years ago in Spain.

The match began with Eala in total control. She set the tone immediately, hitting two powerful forehand shots that left her opponent scrambling. With the energy of over 2,000 cheering fans behind her, Eala needed only 24 minutes to sprint through the first set.

However, the mood at the newly renovated tennis center shifted early in the second set. With Eala trailing 1-2, she called for a medical timeout to treat a minor injury. For three tense minutes, the stadium went quiet as fans watched her receive medical attention.

The crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief when Eala returned to the court with her left thigh bandaged. She didn’t let the injury slow her down; instead, she went on a massive rally, winning four straight games. Her powerful baseline shots were too much for Charaeva to handle, and Eala closed out the match in just one hour and 16 minutes.

While Eala celebrated her spot in the Round of 16, other Filipina players faced a tougher road. Tennielle Madis fell to Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, while Elizabeth Abarquez lost her match against Japan’s Mai Hontama.

In doubles action, the pairs of Kaye Ann Emana and Justine Hannah Maneja, as well as Angeline Alcala and Joanna Peña, also struggled against their international opponents.

Bad weather played a role in the tournament’s second day on Tuesday. Rain forced officials to suspend the match between Japan’s Himeno Sakatsume and Nao Hibino, meaning Eala will have to wait to find out who she faces next. Another match involving Filipina Maye Ann Emana and Russia’s Tatiana Prozorova was also interrupted by the downpour. / FRANK CALAPRE

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