Alex Eala’s Hong Kong Open, Season Run Ends in Gritty Three-Set Duel vs. Victoria Mboko

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by Misha Cruz

Alex Eala ends her 2025 season with a loss to Canadian Victoria Mboko.
Alex Eala ends her 2025 season with a loss to Canadian Victoria Mboko. Photo: Instagram.

Alex Eala’s Hong Kong Open journey came to a close after a hard-fought three-set battle against Canada’s Victoria Mboko, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the Round of 16 on Thursday.

The 20-year-old Filipina started strong, racing to a 4-1 lead in the final set, but the third-seeded Mboko, currently ranked world No. 21, found her rhythm and rallied with five straight games to seal the comeback. 

The two close friends shared an emotional moment at the net after the intense match.

“I wanna first congratulate Alex for an amazing match,” Mboko said. “It’s never easy to play a friend, and the Filipino crowd made it so intense. I had to fight for every single point.”

Alex Eala and Victoria Mboko embrace at the net after their epic match.
Alex Eala and Victoria Mboko embrace at the net after their epic match. Photo: Instagram.

Despite the loss, Eala closes her season on a high note after a year of milestones that pushed her to a career-best WTA ranking of No. 51. She reached the Miami Open semifinals, won her first WTA title at the Guadalajara 125, and made Philippine tennis history with a US Open main-draw win.

Not the ending fans hoped for—but what a ride it’s been for Alex. Our queen continues to make us proud on the world stage.