Alex Eala is making ready to return to motion on the Madrid Open and there are clear areas of her recreation that have to be ramped up if she is to problem the main contenders on the prime of the ladies’s recreation.
Eala’s beautiful breakthrough finally yr’s Miami Open, which included a nice win in opposition to Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek, propelled the Filipina star to world fame.
She backed up that run in Florida by breaking into the highest 30 of the WTA Rankings and rising as one of the vital common gamers in the sport.
Yet discovering a solution to constantly compete with the most effective received’t be simple for Eala and listed here are four big areas she wants to enhance:
THE SERVE
Eala’s body isn’t filled with energy and meaning she could have a serve that challenges the sport’s greatest hitters.
She is down at forty fourth in the rankings for service factors received on the WTA Tour this yr and she is 87th for service video games received, after rising victorious in 64.7% of her service video games.
A extra punchy first serve could possibly be essential to Eala’s hopes of stepping into the highest 20 of the rankings and perhaps into the highest 10.
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PHYSICALITY
As she seems to be to maneuver up the degrees on the prime of the sport, Eala is developing in opposition to seasoned professionals who’ve the bodily attributes to win matches day after day.
Eala’s report up to now suggests she struggles to again up a win by acting at her finest a day later and she has suffered some heavy defeats in the opening weeks of 2026.
Building her bodily presence on court docket will take time and that will likely be essential to what comes subsequent.
MENTALITY
When the tide turns in opposition to Eala, she has struggled to push it again in her favour.
She misplaced in opposition to Karolina Muchova in Miami after winning just two games and likewise received simply two video games in her defeat in opposition to Linda Noskova in Indian Wells.
Eala was properly crushed by Leylah Fernandez on the Stuttgart Open as she appeared to kick-start he clay court docket season, so she may have to seek out new ways to vary the momentum in matches that aren’t going her manner.
VARIETY
Eala must discover a solution to knock opponents out of their stride when her Plan A isn’t working.
She can hit a clear ball from the again of the court docket, and that can give her an opportunity to hit via lower-ranked opponents, however Eala is now taking part in in marquee occasions and her energy is not going to frighten top-ranked opponents.
Drop photographs, altering the form of her ball from the baseline and ranging the tempo of her shot may all be essential to what she must do subsequent.
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VERDICT
After reaching a lot so quickly, Eala is coping with inflated expectations, however there’s nonetheless loads of time for this 20-year-old to achieve her peak.
She has proved she can match the most effective when she is match and firing and the big problem for all gamers at this stage of their profession is discovering a solution to win constantly.
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