Alex Eala surprised everyone with how mature she was when talking about her goals for 2027 after an amazing season.
After her loss to Claire Liu in the Hong Kong Open final, Alex Eala shared her plans to become the best version of herself by 2027. She lost 3-6, 0-6 in the final and even took a medical time-out during the match, which seemed to affect her performance. Despite this tough loss, Alex is determined to aim higher next year.
This defeat stopped her from winning a second Tour-level title—her first win was at the WTA 500 event in Washington this summer—but she remains positive about her future. Alex’s 2026 season was impressive, starting outside the top 50 and finishing at No. 15 in the world. Even if she had beaten Liu, she wouldn’t have moved higher than 15th.
Some of her highlights this year were reaching the Round of 16 at Wimbledon, her best Grand Slam result, and winning a Challenger 125 title in Birmingham. After the final, Alex told Tennis World that she wants to keep improving and become a better player.
“I strive to be the best version of myself,” she said. “Every year, I want to keep growing and becoming better.” When asked about her hopes for 2027, she said she wants to become what the best version of herself looks like by then.
Alex admitted she hasn’t set any specific goals for next year yet because she’s been enjoying the success and hard work from this season. “I’ve been taking time to appreciate what I’ve achieved,” she said. “This is my time to be happy and stay focused on the present.”
She’s set to start her 2027 season early in January, playing at the ASB Classic in Auckland from January 4 to 10. Last year, she reached the semifinals there.
A possible goal for Alex could be to qualify for the WTA Finals by finishing the year in the top 8 players, which is a big step forward. Fans are excited to see how she keeps growing as a player in the coming years!