Indonesia's Janice Tjen will miss the Asian Games after the WTA turned down her exemption request. Sunday's Philippine papers read that as a bad sign for Alex Eala.
"We have received confirmation from the WTA that unfortunately, I have not been granted an exemption to compete at the Asian Games," Tjen said in a social media post on Friday, GMA News reports.
Her reason mirrors Eala's dilemma. The Games, Tjen wrote, "take place at the same time as the mandatory WTA 1000 event in Beijing."
The Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) has written to the WTA asking that Eala be allowed to play the Games without penalty. Neither PHILTA nor Eala's camp has said how the request went, Pilipino Star Ngayon reports.
The papers are not hopeful. Pilipino Star Ngayon calls the request "tagilid," or on shaky ground. Pang-Masa says it could be turned down for reasons similar to Tjen's. The Manila Times says Eala is unlikely to get the exemption. Those are the papers' reads; the WTA has not ruled on Eala.
Asian Games tennis runs September 27 to October 3 in Nagoya, Japan. The China Open, a mandatory WTA 1000 in Beijing, runs September 30 to October 11.
Asian Games singles gold carries an automatic berth at the LA 2028 Olympics. Skipping Beijing could bring a 52-week zero-point penalty and a $10,000 (over ₱600,000) fine, per Pilipino Star Ngayon.
Eala, 21, has said she wants to play for Team Philippines in Nagoya.
Follow Rally's Alex Eala hub for verified updates on her Asian Games status.
