How to Watch Alex Eala’s Asian Games Debut: Schedule, Broadcast, Live Stream Details

Filipino tennis star Alexandra Eala is set to begin her quest for gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya on Monday, September 28. She will face Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej in the women’s singles Round of 16.

Eala, ranked No. 18 in the WTA and seeded first in the tournament, bypassed the first round while Cheapchandej earned her spot by defeating Pakistan’s Mahin Aftab Qureshi 6-1, 6-1 in just 53 minutes.

The match is scheduled on Centre Court but does not have a fixed start time. Centre Court action kicks off at 9 a.m. Philippine time with a men’s singles match between Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka and Hong Kong’s Kairan Thompson, followed by a women’s doubles match featuring Japan and Nepal. Eala’s match will follow once these matches conclude. Fans should check the official Aichi-Nagoya 2026 results site for live updates on the order of play.

Where to Catch the Match Live in the Philippines

Viewers in the Philippines can watch the action live through several platforms. Cignal, the official Philippine broadcaster, invested roughly Php 1 million (about $16,000) to set up their own cameras and digital equipment at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center since tennis was excluded from the guaranteed world feed.

Asian Games coverage is available via One Sports, One Sports+, Cignal Play, and Pilipinas Live. Additional viewing options include RPTV and the One Sports YouTube channel. This ensures Filipino fans won’t miss one of their top medal hopefuls in action.

Matchup Insights: Eala vs. Cheapchandej

Eala is familiar with her opponent, having defeated Cheapchandej 6-3, 6-4 at the 2022 ITF W25 Chiang Rai tournament in Thailand, which Eala eventually won. Since then, Eala's ranking has surged to No. 18, while the 31-year-old Cheapchandej stands at No. 510. Although the Thai player boasts 13 ITF singles titles, her highest WTA ranking was No. 356.

After a tough three-set loss to Tatiana Prozorova at the Singapore Open, where Eala was the third seed, she arrives in Nagoya with something to prove. That match lasted over three hours, ending 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in favor of Prozorova.

More Than Just a Medal: Olympic Qualification on the Line

Beyond Asian Games glory, there’s an Olympic angle for Eala. The International Tennis Federation offers ITF Places to the men’s and women’s singles champions at the Asian Games for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, provided they meet certain criteria.

• Requirement 1: The champion must be ranked within the world’s Top 500.
• Requirement 2: Their country cannot have filled its four-player singles quota through direct qualification.

With Eala comfortably inside the ranking threshold, winning here could secure her a spot at the Olympics. This year’s Asian Games are the first to award these ITF Places, adding extra importance to her campaign.

Eala chose to prioritize Nagoya over the China Open, a mandatory WTA 1000 event for her ranking level, despite the risk of fines or losing ranking points if an exemption isn’t granted by the WTA. The Philippine Tennis Association requested such an exemption on her behalf.

"You know, the Asian Games happens once every four years," Eala said when explaining her decision. "I just found myself drawn to compete in that over other stuff."

She already has two bronze medals from the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, one in women’s singles and another in mixed doubles. But this time, as the top seed, she is a serious contender for gold and potentially the Olympics.

The journey starts Monday against an opponent she knows well.