Alex Eala has suffered a shock defeat in her opening match of the Singapore Open, losing to Tatiana Prozorova.

Eala was feeling fit and ready for her first test at the WTA 500 tournament, which arrived in the second round after she received a first round bye. It was her first match since the US Open earlier this month, with the 21-year-old having undoubtedly been eager to get back to winning ways since her third round exit in New York.

But it wasn’t meant to be for the Singapore Open third seed, who was beaten 6-4, 5-7, 3-6 by her Russian counterpart. There may, however, be extra disappointment for Eala once the dust has settled on this defeat, with the world number 18 certain to be left thinking what could have been.

Alex Eala blows fantastic Singapore Open title chance

Eala is a one-time WTA champion, claiming her maiden title in stunning fashion at Washington DC earlier this year. In a brutal route to the final, she knocked out Qinwen Zheng, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka. Eala then beat Jessica Pegula in the final, securing a hat-trick of wins over the top three seeds and producing one of the best-ever WTA title runs.

And while another title in Singapore was always going to be very difficult, her possible path to the trophy was much more straightforward. Second seed Amanda Anisimova withdrew from the Singapore Open, with Donna Vekic falling early. Eala was projected to meet both. Elsewhere, Barbora Krejcikova also withdrew, while one of Mirra Andreeva and Leylah Fernandez will exit after their quarterfinal clash.

And in another added boost for the Filipina ace, Eala had a huge following at the Singapore Open, and felt right at home at the event. It’s a missed opportunity to say the very least, but the youngster is certain to bounce back in fantastic fashion, as she always does.

READ MORE: How the first player to ever beat Alex Eala in Grand Slam tennis has performed since that match

Alex Eala hits seven double faults in Singapore Open loss

Prozorova absolutely deserves plenty of praise for her efforts on the court, as well as how she managed the occasion given the huge support for her opponent. But Eala was evidently below par on the day, with one area of her game possibly causing her a slight worry.

Her serve has constantly come under the spotlight in recent times, with many pundits often analysing her efficiency with the ball in hand. Notably, tennis legend Martina Navratilova claimed Eala must improve her serve earlier this year. And unfortunately backing up that verdict in Singapore, the Filipina finished the match with seven double faults.

Ranked down in 40th on that unwanted list for all WTA players in 2026, it is not a major issue for Eala, but perhaps something she will want to keep an eye on going forward. Of course, the length of the battle arguably will not have helped, with fatigue undoubtedly playing a role during the three-hour, nine-minute encounter.

There will be plenty to learn from this experience, but again nothing should be taken away from Prozorova. She has just claimed the biggest win of her entire career, and has been rewarded for her efforts with a quarterfinal tie against Wang Xinyu.