Alex Eala was in tears after suffering a brutal defeat in the Hong Kong Tennis Open final. The No. 2 seed had only dropped one set on her way to the championship match and was the heavy favourite to lift the trophy. But Eala was no match for Claire Liu, who sealed a statement 6-3 6-0 victory to claim a maiden tour-level title. It was a tough loss for the 20-year-old, who apologised to the crowd as she started crying during her runner-up speech.

“First and foremost, I want to congratulate Claire on an amazing tournament. A great week and a great match. It was very well deserved. Congratulations,” Eala told the newly-crowned Hong Kong champion.

“I would like to thank the tournament staff and organisers for the amazing hospitality and the physios for keeping me together. And, of course, the fans. Thank you.

“Wrapping up this year, you guys don’t know how much meaning you add on top of what I do and how much of a pleasure it is to go about my life sharing these moments with you all, so I am forever grateful.

When it came time to address her team, Eala was in tears. “Of course, last but not least, my team, my parents. My brother, my coach, and my two other coaches… Yeah! Yeah, this season has changed my life. It has changed my life for the better,” she said, choking up.

“Sorry! Like, I’m really… I’m incredibly proud of the work we have put in this year. We’re the only ones who truly knew what it took to arrive to this point in our journey. So thank you so, so much. Congratulations. This is only the beginning and this one, like all of them, is ours. So congratulations. Thank you everyone.”

Eala ends her 2026 season with a 47-26 win-loss record, and will still rise to a new career-high ranking of No. 15 come Monday. The Filipino star lifted her first WTA Tour title in Washington over the summer and enjoyed a career-best Grand Slam run at Wimbledon, where she stunned defending champion Iga Swiatek before losing in the round of 16.

After lifting a long-awaited first title, Liu also paid tribute to her young rival and admitted that she became emotional while hearing Eala speak. “First of all, I want to say congratulations to Alex. I was tearing up in your speech. I can think of no better person to lead the charge for women’s tennis,” the world No. 102 said.

“I feel like you are such an inspiration. You have had such an amazing year and I am so excited for what you do next year. Also, congratulations to your team.”

Addressing her own feat, the American added: “I am super happy. I mean, it’s been four years since my last final, so I am really happy to get this one. It’s just been such a great week. I’m speechless. The crowd was amazing and I really appreciate everyone for coming.