WTA is crazy, cruel for excluding Eala from finals

The WTA is crazy. Or very crazy. And I am taking that position because of the WTA’s decision to exclude Alex Eala from its finals this year, citing she got disqualified for competing in the 2026 Asian Games. How cruel. Or very cruel. Okay, Eala may still be out of the WTA top 10, and figured in some so-so matches. But like it or not, she is among the biggest stars in tennis today, even getting a larger audience at the gallery and social media. And her getting named to the TIME100 Next 2026 with a write up from tennis great Rafael Nadal speaks volumes of her contributions to the sport. TIME would have chosen another established or rising male or female tennis star. But it chose Eala with reasons that Nadal clearly stated. Then Maria Sharapova, who needs no introduction, interviews Eala over her podcast. Why not another WTA-ranked player? My answer: Sharapova knows who are the real stars in tennis. The demographic that Eala also brings to the sport – whether that is 90-percent Filipino or 50-percent Asian – can never be overlooked. And don’t tell me non-Filipinos and non-Asians are not among those who are cheering Eala from the gallery or over social...