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

Catch Alex Eala’s Asian Games Opening Match Against Patcharin Cheapchandej

After a tough loss at the Singapore Open, Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala is set to start her campaign for an Asian Games gold medal on Monday, September 28, facing Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej in the women’s singles Round of 16.

Eala arrives as the No. 1 seed and is ranked No. 18 globally, making her the highest-ranked player in the women’s singles field. She received a first-round bye, while Cheapchandej advanced by defeating Pakistan’s Mahin Aftab Qureshi 6-1, 6-1 in just 53 minutes.

When Is Eala’s Match Scheduled?

The match is set for Centre Court in Nagoya on Monday, September 28. Eala’s match will be the third on the court after the men’s singles game between Japan’s Hayato Matsuoka and Hong Kong’s Kairan Thompson, followed by a women’s doubles match featuring Japan and Nepal.

Centre Court play begins at 9 a.m. Philippine time, but since the duration of earlier matches affects the start time, fans should check the official Aichi-Nagoya 2026 results site for live updates on the order of play.

Where to Watch Alex Eala vs. Patcharin Cheapchandej

Fans in the Philippines can watch Eala’s matches live on One Sports, One Sports+, Cignal Play, and Pilipinas Live. The broadcaster Cignal invested extra resources to provide live coverage at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center after tennis was not included in the guaranteed live feed from the host broadcaster.

This effort ensures Filipino viewers won’t miss one of their biggest medal hopes competing on home screens.

Head-to-Head and Rankings

Eala has previously beaten Cheapchandej 6-3, 6-4 during the 2022 ITF W25 Chiang Rai tournament in Thailand, which Eala eventually won. Since then, the ranking gap has widened; Eala is currently No. 18, while Cheapchandej, 31 years old, sits at No. 510. Cheapchandej holds 13 ITF singles titles but has never ranked higher than No. 356.

Fresh off a three-hour battle that ended her run at Singapore, where she lost 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to Tatiana Prozorova, Eala looks ready to prove herself once more.

Asian Games Gold Could Lead to Olympic Qualification

More than a medal is at stake for Eala this week. Under the International Tennis Federation’s system for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the winners of the Asian Games singles events earn a spot in the Olympic draw, provided they meet certain criteria.

• Requirement 1: Be ranked within the world’s Top 500
• Requirement 2: Their country must not have already filled its four-player singles quota through direct qualification

Eala, ranked comfortably inside the top 20, fits these conditions. This year’s Asian Games are the first event to award these ITF Olympic spots.

Choosing Nagoya over Beijing meant skipping a mandatory WTA 1000 event—the China Open. The Philippine Tennis Association requested a WTA exemption on her behalf to avoid penalties, which could include a $10,000 fine and no ranking points from the missed event. Eala has expressed her commitment to prioritizing the Asian Games.

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

She’s familiar with the Asian Games podium, having earned bronze medals in women’s singles and mixed doubles at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.

At Nagoya, Eala enters as the top seed and a strong contender for gold. Winning here wouldn’t just upgrade her medal—it could secure her a path to represent the Philippines at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.