Former world No 4 Greg Rusedski has revealed why he does not think Alex Eala should be fazed by her tricky-looking draw at the 2026 Cincinnati Open.
Eala, who is the 17th seed in Cincinnati, will face world No 74 Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round after receiving a first round bye.
The world No 20 is then projected to meet Amanda Anisimova — the ninth seed and a two-time Grand Slam finalist — in the third round at the WTA 1000 event.
The 21-year-old Filipina has won 10 of her last 12 matches, having reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and the Canadian Open either side of her victory at the Washington Open.
Speaking on the latest episode of his Off Court With Greg Rusedski podcast, Rusedski described Eala as “the one to look out for in Cincinnati.”
“Obviously Eala, even though she didn’t win the tournament (Canada) had a seven-match win streak on the WTA Tour, which was impressive,” said the 1997 US Open finalist.
“By match eight against [Belinda] Bencic, she ran out of gas a little bit. So, she’s the one to look out for in Cincinnati.”
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Rusedski then addressed whether Eala could break into the top 10 of the WTA Rankings by the end of the US Open as he also discussed her tough draw in Cincinnati.
“Yeah, no question about it,” said the former British No 1.
“But why should she care whether she’s playing [Amanda] Anisimova, or whoever’s in the section?
“Look at the people she beat to win Washington — it was world-class players from start to finish. Then she goes to Toronto running on fumes and emotions and still wins a couple of matches, as well.
“So, I’m not worried about it. She competes, she fights, she’s so mentally tough that it doesn’t matter who’s in her way.
“You’ve got to play great tennis to beat her. And I see her only going one direction, and that’s up.”
Rusedski recently dismissed concerns about Eala’s busy schedule prior to the US Open.
“I feel like physically she’s already in good shape, she’s strong mentally — the mind and body go hand in hand. And when you’re young, the body bounces back a lot quicker than when you get into your 30s and later years,” said Rusedski.
“So, I’m not worried about that. She’ll play Cincy, and then she’ll have a week off to prepare for the US Open. That’s what all the big names do, so for me, there’s no concern.”
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