Alex Eala Overcome by Claire Liu in Hong Kong Open Final, Reflects on

Tennis trailblazer Alex Eala from the Philippines was overcome with emotion as she reflected on a "life-changing" season after narrowly missing out on a second WTA Tour title at the Hong Kong Open. The second seed, Alex Eala, suffered a 6-3, 6-0 defeat to American Claire Liu in the final on Sunday. Liu, ranked 102nd in the world, secured her first tour title with the victory.

Eala, who is set to rise to world number 15 next week, is enjoying a career-high ranking of 17 following a breakout year. Earlier in August, the 21-year-old clinched her maiden WTA title in Washington, DC, becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a tournament on the WTA Tour. She began the year ranked 50th.

"This season has changed my life; it’s changed my life for the better," Eala told the crowd, her right leg heavily strapped during the final. Becoming emotional as she addressed her team, she added, "I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve put in this year. We’re the only ones that truly know what it took to arrive to this point in our journey. This is only the beginning."