Alex Eala makes another early exit in her Asian run

Dubai: Filipino tennis star Alex Eala continued to struggle in her Asian swing, making another early exit — this time at the Japan Open 2025 in Osaka. The 20-year-old fell to rising Czech player Tereza Valentova, ranked No 78 in the world, in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, on Tuesday.

This marks Eala’s second early exit in October, following her defeat in the qualifying round of the WTA 500 Wuhan Open in China, where she lost a three-set battle to Japanese rival Moyuka Uchijima on October 4.

Valentova, just 18 years old and a standout from the junior ranks, came out firing in Osaka — winning the first four games and breaking Eala three times to dominate the opening set. The Czech maintained her momentum in the second, racing to a 3-0 lead. Though Eala briefly fought back by winning two of the next three games, Valentova closed it out confidently to seal the match.

The Czech teen has been on a breakout season, capturing two WTA 125 titles and reaching the second round of both the French Open and US Open. Her stellar run has seen her ranking soar from No 241 at the start of the year to No 78.

Despite the back-to-back setbacks, Eala, currently ranked World No 54, still has two more chances to turn things around. She’s scheduled to compete in the Guangzhou Open on October 20 and the Hong Kong Tennis Open on October 27.