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Carlos Alcaraz has been told there is no need to panic following his shock early exit from the Miami Open with Italian legend Paolo Bertolucci urging him to take some time off.

World No 1 Alcaraz started the 2026 season with a 17-match winning run as he completed his Career Grand Slam with his Australian Open title run and followed it up with the Qatar Open trophy.

But his streak was ended by Daniil Medvedev in the semi-final of the Indian Wells Open as the Russian claimed a straight-set win before the seven-time Grand Slam winner appeared to return to form with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Joao Fonseca in his opening match in Miami.

But the wheels came off against Sebastian Korda in the third round as he struggled during the first set and then told his team he “wanted to go home”. Although he won the second set, world No 36 Korda secured a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

Alcaraz mentioned the fact that his opponents always seem to raise their game when they face him in several press conferences during the Sunshine Double and former world No 12 Bertolucci says the Spaniard should get used to it.

In his La Gazzetta dello Sport column, he wrote: “Carlos sometimes gets flustered by the high standard his opponent manages to maintain throughout the match, but he should realise that this is the burden the best players have to bear.

“You have to step onto the court with humility and the awareness that the match doesn’t always go your way just because of your reputation.

“With this win, a player like Korda is set for the whole year; he can say he’s beaten the world number one.”

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Alcaraz will next be in action at the Monte Carlo Masters with the tournament starting on 6 April and Bertolucci believes the break will do the 22-year-old good, but he also feels it is important for the world No 1 to “disappear”.

The Italian added: “Right now, Alcaraz needs to recharge his batteries by staying out of the spotlight for a while to rediscover his motivation.

“The season, however, is still in its early stages and I believe he can easily bounce back; there’s no need to jump to conclusions.

“I didn’t judge Jannik Sinner either when he lost to Novak Djokovic in Australia or to Jakub Mensik in Qatar; in fact, he bounced back. The same will happen to Alcaraz, who is still only 22 and not yet fully developed.

“And besides, not everyone has the mental fortitude of the Serb [Djokovic] or Rafa Nadal: there have been players blessed with great talent, but who lacked that particular quality.”

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Arthur Fils has described reaching the semi-finals at the 2026 Miami Open as “the best result in my life so far” after winning an epic match against Tommy Paul.

The French star prevailed 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 7-6(6) against world No 23 Paul in a thrilling quarter-final battle lasting two hours and 47 minutes on Stadium court.

Neither player broke serve in the extremely tight contest, with Fils saving six break points and Paul saving the only break point he faced — which was a match point in his final service game in the third set.

Fils trailed 2-6 in the deciding set tiebreak, and he fought off four consecutive Paul match points as he won six points in a row in a dramatic late turnaround.

In his on-court interview with Tennis TV, Fils was asked how much passion and emotion went into the match.

“A lot, a lot. I step on the court, I was feeling a bit tired. [Paul] was playing very good, he was playing better than me in the first set,” said the world No 31.

“I just tried to find some energy, I tried to cheer a little bit for me because of the crowd was a bit for him. And then it was just a dog fight, and I never back down from a fight, so even if I lose, it’s okay, I fought the best that I could.”

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The 21-year-old also spoke about his mentality.

“Look, today I was just fighting, and even if [Paul] is my friend out of the court, when we are stepping on the court, it’s either him or me, and well, I prefer when it’s me (laughs). So yeah, I was just trying my best tonight, and I did good,” Fils explained.

Fils’ victory saw him advance to the semi-finals of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time, and he will play world No 22 Jiri Lehecka.

“That’s the best result I had in my life so far, so I will try to do my best in the semi, but now I’m pretty happy,” he added.

In his press conference, Fils said: “I just had to believe in myself. That was the most important.

“I think he played very, very good tennis tonight, especially in the tiebreak until 6-2.

“I just said, okay, look, point by point, if I’m lucky, I get through. If not, it’s okay, it’s not a big deal. He was playing better than me. So, I just had to fight until the end and see.

“It feels very good to be in the semis for the first time in my life. I’m going to try my best. I have a tough match against Jiri. Let’s see how I get through it. But it feels good.”

How has Fils’ Miami Open run affected his ATP ranking?

Fils, who reached his career-high ranking of 14th in April 2025, started the Miami Open as the world No 31.

The Frenchman was a quarter-finalist at last year’s edition of the event in Florida, and his run to the semi-finals this year means he has gained 200 points, which has increased his points total to 1,640.

This has lifted Fils to 28th position in the Live ATP Rankings, and he will jump to 22nd if he defeats Lehecka to reach the final.

READ NEXT: Juan Martin del Potro issues candid verdict on who can rival Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

The post Miami Open: What did Arthur Fils say after epic Tommy Paul win? And how has it affected his ranking? appeared first on Tennis365.

Iga Swiatek and Wim Fissette didn’t have a “natural player-coaching relationship”, according to Kim Clijsters with the former world No 1 saying “a couple of red flags” emerged several months ago.

The pair started working together in October 2024 and after a difficult first six months in 2025, they appeared to have turned the corner after Swiatek won Wimbledon, the Cincinnati Open and Korea Open.

Following a sluggish start to the 2026 season during which the Pole failed to reach the semi-final of the four WTA Tour events she has played in, Swiatek announced her decision to part ways with Fissette after her shock second-round exit from the Miami Open.

The social media statements from both didn’t give too much away with the six-time Grand Slam winner stating that after “an intense time full of challenges and many important experiences”, she decided to take a different path.

Fissette simply stated “we both wanted and worked for more but shared important moments and lessons”.

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Four-time Grand Slam winner Clijsters, who worked with Fissette from 2009 until 2011, gave her views on their relationship and subsequent split on the Love All Podcast.

“My first kind of feeling is a little bit… I saw some of the interactions that were happening on court as well, and I think, to Wim’s defence, when a player is mentally where she was at, I don’t think there’s a lot that you can say from the sideline,” the Belgian said.

“It’s a lot further than ‘hey do this on the tennis court, or hey try to focus on placing the ball there, or throwing the ball toss or stepping in on the return.’ It’s a lot further than that. It’s a lot deeper.

“A few years ago, [Aryna] Sabalenka was very open about sharing that, you know, people recommended her to go talk to a psychologist and that after a while she realised, like, ‘What am I doing? Like, I’m the only person who can change this. This person doesn’t know what it’s like to be out there. Like, I just have to change myself.’

“And I think you come to a point that you can only… you have to look yourself in the mirror and make the changes and face your weaknesses and that tension.

“A lot of times, Wim’s very data-driven, which naturally he was like that. I was a very intuitive player, like I didn’t want to hear any stats.

“I didn’t care about the numbers, like in my brain it does not work, but you know, for me, like that was something that would be very overwhelming. I don’t know what Iga is like. But yeah, sometimes you want to have an open mind.

“But you could see that there was tension already for a few months and frustration and that their natural kind of player-coaching relationship wasn’t really where it should be at, and I think those were a couple of red flags.”

Swiatek’s psychologist Daria Abramowicz has a very close relationship with the world No 3 and many have raised questions about her role on the team with Clijsters also alluding that it could be a negative for a coach.

She added: “I also think on Wim’s side it’s also not easy to work in a team I think where you have a mindset coach who is very close. Who’s always there. And because that’s also, in a sense, I feel like the coach also has a little bit, needs to also know… it’s also part of it.

“I feel like a good coach can also understand the mental side of it, how to approach that, like I think it’s it’s not just the tennis part or the puzzle piece that you can just take out and replace by somebody else.

“Like, I think it’s a very intimate kind of detailed relationship and where you have to be able to express yourself openly and it’s not always easy.

“But personalities have to match and it’s a lot of things. But Wim is somebody who was always on time. He’s very organised. Like I said, he was very data-driven.

“I would say he’s maybe not the best technical coach. Like he is not like that. If you’re looking for somebody to change your forehand or to do major things that was probably not his strength, but I’m also talking about like more than 10 years ago.

“He’s helped a lot of other players over time and so, that was my experience with him.”

The post Iga Swiatek: Former world No 1 spotted ‘tension’ with Wim Fissette and ‘a couple of red flags’ appeared first on Tennis365.

Elena Rybakina overcame a slow start, frustrations and an “attitude” problem to defeat Jessica Pegula in the quarter-final at the Miami Open.

The world No 2 was broken twice in the opening set, and she had words with her coach Stefano Vukov while the Pegula was serving for the set at 5-2, while she also had to save break points in the opening game of the second set and in game five.

But an attitude adjustment and some technical changes helped her to turn things around as she broke in game six of the second set to take it to a decider before a single break in the opening game of the third set sealed a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory in two hours and 15 minutes.

During the post-match press conference, the reigning Australian Open champion admitted: “I didn’t start well at all and got frustrated with my mistakes, I started rushing and couldn’t control my attitude.”

Rybakina added: “In the second set, I needed to stop, take a breath, and change the dynamics. I’m happy I could turn it around.”

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As the game progressed, the Kazakh’s net play also improved and she managed to pull off some great volleys, which will no doubt delight her coaches after the hard work at practice.

“A couple of times, I got lucky. It was a very difficult shot but I’m happy that somehow I’m staying at the net, and I feel here probably it helps even more to finish the rallies.

“Overall, the coaches are pushing me to come to the net more because whenever I come, most of the time you win the points.”

It will be world No 1 against world No 2 in the semi-final as Rybakina faces Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated world No 42 Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 6-4.

The pair have already met twice so far in 2026 with Rybakina winning the Australian Open in three sets before Sabalenka hit back at the Indian Wells Open with that match also going the distance.

“I feel like the season is not even halfway yet, and it’s great to play against Aryna always pushing each other, and you can see what you need to improve,” Rybakina stated

“…It’s going to be another challenge, where I will need to serve well and really take care of my game, knowing that on the other side, she can hit a lot of good shots, also winners, good serve.

“I’ll try to focus on myself more, try to stay somehow fresh for the match, and we’ll see again what’s going to happen.”

The post Miami Open: Elena Rybakina makes confession about her attitude after argument with coach appeared first on Tennis365.

Coco Gauff has candidly admitted she struggles with “impostor syndrome” and doubts whether she “belongs” where she is at the top of the WTA Tour.

The world No 4 was speaking after beating 12th-ranked Belinda Bencic 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Miami Open on Tuesday.

Gauff has won all four of her matches in Miami in three sets, having also overcome Sorana Cirstea, Alycia Parks and Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

The American star revealed that her team did not want her to play the WTA 1000 tournament in Florida after a “nerve-related” arm injury ended her campaign in Indian Wells.

Gauff, who is dealing with ongoing issues with her serve and has also struggled with her forehand at times, has been working with biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan since August.

Despite her technical troubles, Gauff — who turned 22 earlier this month — has already had a glittering career.

Gauff has won 11 WTA Tour singles titles, including two Grand Slams, the WTA Finals, and three WTA 1000 titles, while she has reached a career-high ranking of world No 2.

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Following her win against Bencic, Gauff was asked what it says about her that she has won four tough matches after her injury-affected preparations for the Miami Open.

“I think it just shows my mind and it’s just all about mentality out there at the end of the day,” said Gauff.

“I think I have to believe that I belong where I am. I think sometimes I can get impostor syndrome, and even when they’re saying my accomplishments during the warm-up, it doesn’t feel like me, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I actually do have a good career’.

“But it doesn’t feel like that sometimes in the moment, because you’re just working on things. Especially with my serve, it just feels like, I don’t know, I shouldn’t be where I am.

“But tennis doesn’t lie, the ball doesn’t lie, so I just have to believe myself, and my coach has been reminding me: ‘Remember who you are, and you’re a good player.’

“I think they’ve been putting that into my head. At moments I believe in it, at moments I don’t. So I’m just trying to believe it more.”

Gauff is vying for her maiden Miami Open title, and she will face world No 14 Karolina Muchova in the semi-finals.

READ NEXT: Coco Gauff ‘proud’ as Jannik Sinner extends record and Alex Eala admits ‘added pressure’: Miami Open roundup

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Alex Eala’s rise to prominence at the top of the women’s game is showing no sign of waning, but she has developed a worrying trend in her last three defeats.

The Filipina star will be keen to halt a run of heavy defeats when she resumes her season on clay courts next month, with her 6-2, 6-0 thumping at the hands of Karolina Muchova in Miami Open the latest heavy defeat handed out to the 20-year-old.

Muchova has the class to dismiss any opponent when she is at her best, but the manner of the defeat will be a concern for Eala.

It backed up a 6-2, 6-0 defeat against Linda Noskova in the WTA 1000 tournament at Indian Wells earlier in April and a crushing 6-0, 6-2 defeat against Coco Gauff in Dubai in February.

Now former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has suggested Eala needs to add some power to her serve and some weight to her ground strokes, as he reflected on her recent performances in the latest edition of his Off Court Cuts podcast.

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“Eala is getting into the later stages of tournaments, but once she gets there, she’s getting beaten in pretty one-sided matches,” said Rusedski.

“I think she needs to improve the serve. The serve, you know, gets you on the front foot from the start and she’s gonna need to get physically stronger. You know, she’s got to get more time in the gym, build up the muscles, get a little bit quicker. Then she’ll start hitting the ball harder.

“She’s still young. Let’s not forget that. She’s still very young and many more years to develop. And I think she’s too good a player not to make it into the top 10.

“The good thing is she has a good attitude. She’s working hard, but you you don’t want to create this scar tissue when you’re playing the top girls and you’re losing so easily at times.

“I think she will get over that hump. She’s too good and she’s putting in the effort and she is great for the WTA.”

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The interest in Eala shows no sign of waning, even thought she is facing a slide in the WTA Rankings after her fourth round exit at the Miami Open.

While that run in Florida was a decent effort from Eala, ranking points are dropping off her record as she failed to match her impressive run to the semi-finals in Miami last year.

The positive news for Eala is she has very few ranking points to defend during the upcoming clay court season and that will fuel her hopes of getting back into the top 32 of the rankings to ensure she is seeded for the second Grand Slam of the season at Roland Garros in May.

READ NEXT: Everything Alex Eala said after heavy Miami Open defeat to Karolina Muchova

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Victoria Mboko was as impressive as always at the Miami Open, though the Canadian saw her campaign end at the hands of Karolina Muchova in Tuesday’s quarter-final showdown.

Tenth seed Mboko had breezed past Anna Blinkova and Anastasia Zakharova before a battling three-set win against Mirra Andreeva in the fourth round, though she was then beaten 7-5, 7-6(5) by Czech ace Muchova in the last eight.

With the dust beginning to settle on the Canadian’s campaign, we look at the prize money and ranking points that she will take home from the event.

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What ranking points did Mboko earn?

Significant ranking points are on offer in Miami, with this year’s women’s singles champion set to take home 1,000 points for her WTA Ranking.

Mboko was assured of 10 points merely by entering the tournament, though she moved to 65 points for reaching the third round, and then 120 points for reaching the fourth round.

By defeating Andreeva and reaching the quarter-final of the event, where she fell to Muchova, the Canadian finishes her singles campaign on 215 ranking points.

The 19-year-old had 35 points to defend for reaching the second round in 2025, meaning she has attained a net gain of 180 ranking points from the tournament.

Mboko is projected to hold 3,531 points next Monday, and will remain as the world No 9 unless Muchova goes on to lift the title.

What prize money did Mboko earn?

This year’s women’s and men’s singles champions will both take home an impressive $1,151,380 in winnings for lifting the Miami Open title, with not-insignificant prize money available across the draw as a whole.

Receiving a bye into the second round, Mboko was assured of at least $36,110 in prize money from Miami, though she then guaranteed herself at least $61,865 for reaching round three.

Victory in round three saw her sit on $105,720 in prize money for the tournament, and after ultimately reaching the last eight, she will take home $193,645 in winnings from her singles campaign.

What did she earn for her doubles campaign?

Mboko was also in doubles action at the Miami Open this year, competing alongside rival and close friend Andreeva in the women’s doubles draw.

The pair upset eighth seeds Ellen Perez and Demi Schuurs in the opening round, though they then withdrew from a round-two contest against Jessica Pegula and Storm Hunter.

By reaching the second round, both Mboko and partner Andreeva will earn 120 points for the WTA doubles ranking.

As a pair, they will be awarded $35,700, which will be split equally across both players.

That means that Mboko will take home $17,850 for her doubles campaign, which means a combined total payout of $211,495 when added to her singles prize money.

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Read Next: Coco Gauff ‘proud’ as Jannik Sinner extends record and Alex Eala admits ‘added pressure’: Miami Open roundup

The post Miami Open: Victoria Mboko’s prize money & ranking points after exit appeared first on Tennis365.

Action at the Miami Open is beginning to reach boiling point, with just five days left of matchplay at the combined ATP-WTA 1000 event in Florida.

The men’s singles quarter-final line-up has now been set following a busy day of ATP action at the tournament on Tuesday, while the first semi-final in the women’s singles draw has also been confirmed.

Ahead of the start of play on Wednesday, we look at the biggest news stories emerging from the Miami Open.

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Sinner extends record

Jannik Sinner is safely through to the last eight of the Miami Open, with the world No 2 now extending a record he broke earlier in the tournament.

The Italian’s 7-5, 7-6(4) win over Alex Michelsen in the fourth round means he has now won 28 consecutive sets at Masters 1000 tournaments, having broken Novak Djokovic’s record of 24 back in round three.

Sinner has now won his last 15 matches across the ‘Sunshine Swing’, dating back to the 2024 Miami Open, and the world No 2 is in bullish mood as he enters the quarter-final stage as the overwhelming title favourite.

Read More: Jannik Sinner extends stunning record at Miami Open and matches Federer, Djokovic and Alcaraz

‘Happy and proud’ Gauff breaks new ground

Coco Gauff came into the Miami Open as a significant injury doubt, though the world No 4 has impressively fought her way into the semi-final of her home WTA 1000 event for the first time.

The American sealed a battling 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 win over 12th seed Belinda Bencic in a thrilling quarter-final on Tuesday night, and will now face 13th seed Karolina Muchova in the semi-final.

Gauff admitted that she was “happy and proud” to have reached the last four in Miami for the first time, and will receive a boost in the WTA Rankings should she now reach the final.

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Landaluce’s breakthrough

Martin Landaluce has long been recognised as one of the brightest talents on the ATP Tour, and the 20-year-old has surged into prominence thanks to a hugely impressive run to the last eight.

After earlier wins against 17th seed Luciano Darderi and 14th seed Karen Khachanov, the Spaniard stunned 32nd seed Sebastian Korda on Tuesday, saving a match point in a 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 triumph over the American.

Landaluce is the first man born in 2006 to reach a Masters 1000 quarter-final, and is set to soar to a new career-high in the ATP Rankings thanks to his breakthrough run in Florida.

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Eala admits to ‘added pressure’

Alex Eala has admitted she faced “added pressure” at the Miami Open following her heavy fourth-round exit to 13th seed Muchova earlier in the week.

A semi-finalist at the tournament back in 2025, the Filipina impressed on her way to the round of 16 in Miami once again, but won just two games in a lopsided 6-0, 6-2 loss to her Czech rival on Monday.

Speaking to the press after her defeat at the WTA 1000 event, Eala discussed the pressure she had felt at the tournament and what she was looking to learn from her defeat.

Read More: Everything Alex Eala said after heavy Miami Open defeat to Karolina Muchova

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Rafael Nadal has urged the Spaniards not to lose sight of Carlos Alcaraz’s success following his recent defeats as the tennis great also insisted his on-court behaviour during his Miami Open loss was “understandable”.

Alcaraz made an outstanding start to the 2026 season as he beat Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final to become the youngest player to complete the Career Grand Slam, beating his idol Nadal’s record in the process.

The 22-year-old followed it up with the Qatar Open title and then took his winning streak to 17-0 as he reached the semi-final of the Indian Wells Open before things started to unravel as he was beaten in straight sets by Daniil Medvedev.

The world No 1 made a solid start to the Miami Open as he beat rising star Joao Fonseca in straight sets, but then lost 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 against the unseeded Sebastian Korda.

Questions have been raised about Alcaraz on the back of the two defeats, but 22-time Grand Slam winner Nadal says it is “pointless”.

“We’re not going to worry about two defeats, they’re pointless,” the tennis legend said when receiving an honorary doctorate at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

“He’s bringing success to Spanish sport that would have been hard to imagine 30 years ago. I never lose sight of what everything he does means. We’re not going to worry about the two defeats.”

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Alcaraz was never comfortable against Korda as he told his team at the start of the second set “I want to go home”. He also mentioned several times during the Sunshine Double that players always raise their level against him.

With the American claiming an early break, he looked set for a straight-sets defeat, but managed to hit back and take it to a decider before Korda eventually got the job done.

“Everyone, no matter how successful they are, has the right to feel frustrated or tired one day,” Nadal said. “I think that when he saw it, he would have preferred not to show it. He probably didn’t like seeing himself like that, but it’s understandable.”

But the former world No 1’s message to the Alcaraz detractors is clear: “When you come off a win at the Australian Open, you’re number one in the world, so what happens? Are you going to win every match this year? Of course not. We all have to congratulate and thank Carlos for what he’s doing.”

The seven-time Grand Slam winner will have an extended break as he won’t be in action during the latter stages of the Miami Open with his next event likely to be the Monte Carlo Masters.

And he will once again be under pressure in terms of the ATP Rankings as he is the defending champion, while world No 2 Jannik Sinner doesn’t have any points to defend.

The post Carlos Alcaraz: Rafael Nadal issues ‘pointless’ verdict after world No 1’s shock loss appeared first on Tennis365.

The young guns are starting to rise on the WTA Tour and the two players who have created the biggest stir over the last 12 months are Alex Eala and Victoria Mboko.

Eala’s engaging presence exploded onto the tennis stage at this stage of last season, as she embarked on a memorable run to the semi-finals of the Miami Open and beat Iga Swiatek to announce her arrival on the big stage.

The Filipina star instantly became a hero for millions of fans in her homeland and since then, Eala’s steps on the WTA Tour have created huge interest that has ensured the 20-year-old has become one of the most talked about players in the game.

Mboko’s rise was even more dramatic, as she burst through the draw to win the Canadian Open last August, beating four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the final.

That win in a WTA 1000 tournament catapulted her ranking in double quick time and the teenager has maintained her momentum to rise into the top 10 of the WTA Rankings.

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In pure tennis terms, Mboko’s progress is a step ahead of Eala’s, with her run to the latter stages of the ATP 1000 Miami Open event this week highlighting her ability to sustain success at the highest levels of the game.

Yet when it comes to popularity and commercial appeal, Eala is in a league of her own.

The WTA Tour and tennis in general have a huge opportunity to grow the sport to an audience eager to follow Eala’s story, with many of them new to tennis and attracted to the sport due to their admiration to their new sporting hero.

With her charming demeanour and engaging personality shining through in interviews, Eala will have shot to the top of the wanted lists of many elite sponsors and that interest will only rise if she can continue her march up the WTA Rankings.

Eala’s failure to match her deep run in Miami this year means her ranking has taken a hit, but she has shown that she can compete with the best in the women’s game and former British No 1 Greg Rusedski is impressed with what he has seen from the rising star.

“She’s a good leftie, moves exceptionally well and she competes incredibly well,” said Rusedski on his podcast.

“The movement is there, the firepower is getting better and it’s a gradual build-up in her career.

“I like the way she thinks tactically. She’s very astute out there and for all the pressure and expectation that are on her shoulders, she’s finding a way to push through. Eala is great for the women’s tour.

“With Eala, I see so much room for potential,” said Rusedski. “She’s a player I’d love to work with on her serve. I just feel like she can get more benefit out of it, more accuracy, more power.

“I think she’s gonna possibly crack the top 10 this year. That’s how good she is mentally tactically. There’s a lot of upside with her. Lots to improve.”

Rusedski is also a big fan of Mboko, as he predicted she will be ready to challenge for the biggest titles in tennis next year.

“Mboko is my pick to win a major in 2027,” declared Rusedski. “Mboko has a great team around her and she is showing she can compete with the best.

“She has the physicality and I loved the way she shows that composure to win the title in front of her home fans in Canada last year.

“So I think the future is very bright for both her and Eala. It’s so good to see the youngsters doing well, but right now it looks the dominance of Sabalanka, Rybakina, Swiatek and Svitolina will continue, but the youngsters are coming.”

The WTA Tour are fortunate to have two players who are creating such a stir and while Eala might hold all the aces when it comes to sponsors and her huge fanbase, Mboko could be the player who the game to get in the mix for big prizes.

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