Filipino tennis star Alex Eala is looking to regain her winning form at the WTA 500 Ningbo Open in China, which runs from October 19 to 25, following an early exit at the Wuhan Open.
The world No. 19 enters the 28-player Ningbo draw as the 11th-highest-rated direct entrant. Only the top four seeds receive first-round byes, so Eala will begin her campaign in the opening round. She is entered in singles only.
The field is headlined by defending champion and top seed Elena Rybakina, along with Jessica Pegula, Elina Svitolina and Iga Swiatek.
A difficult stretch
Eala arrives in Ningbo after a tough run. At the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open on October 12, she lost to Chinese qualifier Shi Han, 6-4, 3-6, 3-6. She also exited the doubles event in the first round alongside Zeynep Sönmez. Earlier this month, she settled for bronze at the Asian Games in Nagoya.
The Ningbo event offers a chance to recapture the form she showed in August, when she won the WTA 500 title in Washington, D.C.
A landmark season
Despite the recent setbacks, 2026 has been a landmark year for the 21-year-old, who has climbed into the world's top 20 and won an Asian Games medal, cementing her status as the Philippines' top tennis player.
