Andrea Petkovic calls on WTA to change ‘radical’ rules over Alex Eala controversy

Former top-10 player Andrea Petkovic has urged the WTA to amend its mandatory tournament rules, calling them an "incredibly Western approach." Petkovic made the comments on The Big T podcast after 21-year-old Alex Eala risked ranking penalties and fines for skipping the mandatory China Open in Beijing to represent the Philippines at the Asian Games.

Petkovic argued that tennis is now a global sport and players should receive exemptions for the quadrennial regional event. Co-host Mark Petchey agreed, urging the tour to establish formal exemptions. While official tour confirmation remains pending, Philippine Tennis Association executive director Tonette Mendoza reported that Eala was not penalized.