Alex Eala’s rise up the tennis ladder has been one of the big stories of the last 12 months, but the Filipina star is developing a habit she will be keen to kick heading into the clay court swing of the WTA Tour.
Eala’s breakthrough tournament a year ago saw her embark on a thrilling run to the semi-finals of the Miami Open, with her win against serial Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek in that event in Florida alerting the world to her potential.
The young star has shown an impressive level of consistency since that run and while her record in Grand Slam tournaments is not matching her displays on the WTA Tour, that has not diluted the enthusiam for a player who already has one of the largest pool of supporters in women’s tennis.
Eala’s ranking took a knock after she failed to match her run to the semi-finals at this year’s Miami Open, but she is heading into the clay court season with high hopes of making progress.
However, she will be keen to halt a worrying trend, with her 6-2, 6-0 thumping at the hands of Karolina Muchova in Miami the latest heavy defeat handed out to the 20-year-old.
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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.
In a story that has replicated some recent defeats suffered by Britain’s Emma Raducanu, the recent losses for Eala have been a little too one-sided.
Raducanu was heavily beaten by Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros last year and was then dismissed by Elena Rybakina in double-quick time at the US Open.
That story has continued for Raducanu heading into 2026, with too many of her defeats coming in a brutally conclusive fashion, with the scar tissue left by those kind of defeats leaving a lasting mark.
Eala will be hoping she can get back on track with some big performances on clay and former British No 1 Greg Rusedski is convinced she can press on and build momentum in the coming months.
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“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. 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.”
Eala’s huge fan base will now be cheering her on as she gets clay under her feet over the next few weeks and she has a chance to leap up the rankings as she only has limited points to defend over from this period last year.
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