Alex Eala's Path to Singapore Open Title Clears After Anisimova Withdrawal

Alex Eala returns to the tour this week with the spotlight fixed firmly on her again, and before she’s even struck a ball in Singapore, the landscape around her has shifted.

The world No. 18 is playing her first event since the US Open, stepping into a WTA 500 draw that was already stacked with star power and expectation. She brings both. The Filipina has become one of the most watched players in the women’s game, and in Singapore the noise around her is only getting louder.

Now the draw has just given her a sizeable helping hand.

Anisimova out, door opens

Amanda Anisimova, the world No. 11 and second seed in Singapore, travelled for the tournament but won’t hit the court. A left wrist injury has forced the American out, with lucky loser Viktoria Morvayova taking her place in the main draw.

For Anisimova, it’s a brutal setback. For Eala, it changes everything.

The two were projected to collide in the semifinals, a heavyweight clash against a player who reached two Grand Slam finals last season, falling only to Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon and Aryna Sabalenka at the US Open. Anisimova also owns a winning record against Eala, having beaten her in their only previous meeting in the Cincinnati Open round of 32 earlier this year.

That threat is now gone. And with it, one of the most dangerous obstacles between Eala and a deep run.

Anisimova’s withdrawal blows the top half of the draw wide open. The second seed is out; the third seed suddenly looks a lot more like a title favourite.

From third seed to main challenger

With Anisimova sidelined, Eala is now the second-highest-ranked player left in the tournament, behind only top seed Mirra Andreeva. On paper, the path is clear: the two rising stars are projected to meet in the final if both hold their nerve and their level.

Andreeva opens her campaign against Aliaksandra Sasnovich, who has already taken out Daria Kasatkina. That result alone is a reminder that this draw still has teeth. Nothing will be handed to anyone, least of all to a player carrying as much expectation as Eala.

Still, the arithmetic is simple. One major rival is gone. Another sits on the opposite side of the draw. The opportunity is there.

First, a Russian test

Eala, though, can’t afford to look that far ahead. Her first task is Tatiana Prozorova, who fought past Sofia Costoulas in the opening round to earn a shot at the Filipina.

It will be their first-ever meeting. No history to lean on. No familiar patterns. Just a clean slate and the pressure of a debut match in a week where Eala’s name is already being spoken in the context of the trophy.

Prozorova arrives with rhythm after her first-round win. Eala arrives with expectation and a fresh start after the US Open. One of them will settle quicker. That may decide everything.

Another break in the bracket

If the Anisimova news gave Eala a lift, the early rounds in Singapore have added another quiet boost.

She had been projected to face Donna Vekic in the quarterfinals, a seasoned campaigner with the weapons to disrupt any run. That potential showdown vanished almost as quickly as it appeared. Vekic fell heavily in her opener, losing 6-1, 6-2 to Xinyu Wang.

So another seeded danger is gone from Eala’s projected path. Another gap opens in the draw.

This is how tournaments are won as much as on the court as off it: one rival injured, another upset, a bracket that suddenly looks less like a minefield and more like a route.

Eala still has to walk it. The questions now are no longer about whether the door will open for her in Singapore. They’re about what she does with it, now that it has.