Eala to vanish for a bit after Hong Kong final loss ends her breakout year

Alex Eala's breakout season finished with a thud in Hong Kong. The 21-year-old lost Sunday's Hong Kong Open final 6-3, 6-0 to American Claire Liu, then told reporters she is ready to step away from the court for a while.

The run still pays off. Eala will climb to a career-high No. 15 in the world rankings, a mark that makes her the highest-ranked Filipino and Southeast Asian player in WTA history. She had already broken that ground earlier in the season.

The year delivered hardware too: her first WTA Tour-level title at the Washington Open in August, seven wins over top-10 opponents, and a bronze medal at last month's Asian Games. That résumé turned her into a fan favourite and pushed her ranking to a level she hadn't seen coming.

'I didn't know that was on the cards for me, to end the year at 15th,' she said after the final. 'This whole season, just to top it off with ending the year 15th, it's like dreams are only dreams until they're not.'

Asked about goals for next season, Eala admitted she hasn't mapped them out. 'I've been really enjoying the fruits of my labour of this year,' she said, describing a calendar that ran from one tournament straight into the next.

Her immediate plan is a full stop. 'I'm going to spend time with my family, just lay low, disappear for a little bit,' she said. 'Yeah, those are my plans. Just to disappear.'