The region’s best netters are expected to stamp their classes in the women’s division of tennis in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December.
With world no. 51 Alexandra Eala seeing action for the Philippines again, rival teams are fielding their own top 200-ranked netters in the world in search of the gold medal at the 33rd edition of the biennial meet.
The 20-year-old Eala is expected hold her ground against Thailand’s Mananchaya “Mai” Sawangkaew and Luksika “Ruangkhaw” Thararudee.
Then, there’s also Janice Tjen to contend with as the Indonesian ousted Eala in the 2025 Sao Paolo Open quarterfinals and eventually came out as the tournament’s runner-up.
Hosted by Thailand from December 9 to 20, the coming women’s tennis meet is said to be drawing many top women’s players in the professional circuit.
The 11 participating countries have submitted the names of top-tier players, with the 21-year-old Sawangkaew ranked at no. 176th, and Thararudee at 171st.
Tjen is at no. 82 as she teams up with Priska Madelyn Nugroho, Eala’s former junior doubles’ partner, now at no. 207.
Nugroho is the reigning women’s singles’ champion at the 2023 SEA Games.
Vietnam will have Savannah Ly Nguyen, a 24-year-old netter, who bagged the bronze medal in the women’s singles event of the last SEA Games.
Nguyen is currently ranked at no. 1,310 and is seen to make a comeback for a medal.
The tennis competition will be held at the National Tennis Development Center in Muang Thong Thani.
At the 32nd SEA Games, hosted by Cambodia, Indonesia claimed the gold in both the women’s singles’ and team events, while Thailand took silver in both categories.
After a gruelling WTA season, Eala has recently officially committed to suit for Team Philippines.
Eala finished her season with an intense three-set match with Canada’s Victoria Mboko.
She went down in a 6-3, 3-6, 4-6 loss to Mboko on Thursday evening in the round of 16 of the Hong Kong Open.
Eala earned 30 WTA points and $4,160 (P244,982.40) and is expected to push into the world no. 50, a new career-high.
