WTA Alexandra Eala WTA Hong Kong 2026 Claire Liu

Liu defeats a struggling Eala and wins her first WTA title in Hong Kong

Andrés Tomás Rico - 8 Nov 2026
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Liu defeats an injured Eala and wins her first WTA title in Hong Kong. Photo: Getty Images

A week to remember for Claire Liu. The American tennis player arrived at the WTA 250 in Hong Kong not knowing that just a few days later it would be the tournament where she would claim her first title as a professional tennis player. Furthermore, she achieved this by sweeping aside the strong favorite, Alexandra Eala, with a score of 6-3, 6-0, after the Filipina suffered physical issues.

The final was very closely contested until, at 3-3 in the first set, Eala called for the physiotherapist due to an injury in her right knee, the same one she had been bandaged throughout the tournament. From that moment on, the final ended for the Filipina as her performance dropped and she couldn’t win another game, much to the delight of Liu, who lifted the title of champion.

Liu rises 33 spots in the WTA rankings and Eala ends the year in the Top 15

Her week in Hong Kong was so impeccable that she didn't lose a single set. She debuted without problems against Tatiana Prozorova (6-4, 6-2), then defeated Katie Boulter (7-5, 6-4) and Zeynep Sonmez (6-1, 6-4), while in the semifinals she was superior to Alexandra Shubdladze (7-5, 6-4).

"I’m glad to be having a really good week, especially to close out the year," said the American at the end of her semifinal. "I'm excited for tomorrow, so I hope to have a good match and play some good tennis.” She did just that.

This victory will also mean a significant boost in the WTA rankings for Liu. She started the tournament as the world number 102 and finished in 69th place, which is a climb of 33 positions back into the Top 100. Meanwhile, Eala, despite her loss, ends 2026 as the number 15 in the world at the age of 21.
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Liu barre a una Eala con problemas físicos y gana su primer título WTA en Hong Kong