Filipina tennis star Alex Eala will open her 2026 Toray Pan Pacific Open campaign against British wildcard Mika Stojsavljevic, hoping to regain momentum after a challenging stretch on the WTA Tour. The 21-year-old Eala enters the WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo as the eighth seed and World No. 20, while her 17-year-old opponent is ranked No. 308 in the tournament’s entry list. The first-round encounter will mark their first meeting on the WTA Tour, with Eala looking to capitalize on her experience against a young player eager to make an impression.
Eala arrives in Japan following early exits during the Asian swing, including defeats in Singapore and Wuhan, before falling to Russia’s Diana Shnaider, 7-5, 6-4, in the second round of the Ningbo Open. Stojsavljevic, meanwhile, has demonstrated her potential after reaching the quarterfinals of the Birmingham Open in June and making a Grand Slam main-draw appearance at Wimbledon. Although Eala holds the higher ranking and enters as the seeded player, the British teenager’s wildcard entry presents an opportunity for her to challenge an established top-20 competitor.
A victory would send Eala into the second round against either Australia’s Talia Gibson or a qualifier, with a possible quarterfinal rematch against third seed Diana Shnaider awaiting deeper in the draw. The tournament, scheduled from October 26 to November 1, also features leading players Elena Rybakina, Naomi Osaka, Belinda Bencic, and Elise Mertens. With the 2026 season approaching its conclusion, Tokyo provides Eala another opportunity to improve her results, rebuild confidence, and finish her Asian campaign on a stronger note.
Image from Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP