A Star Is Born in New York
Alex Eala has been generating enormous buzz ahead of the US Open, and now she has a high-profile endorsement to match the excitement. Former finalist Greg Rusedski, who reached the 1997 title match in New York, has gone on record backing the Filipino teenager to make a serious run deep into the tournament at Flushing Meadows.
Eala has been building momentum all summer. She reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, stunning defending champion Iga Swiatek along the way, and then followed that up by claiming her first WTA title in Washington. A warm-up appearance on Arthur Ashe Stadium this week, which saw her father join her on court, quickly went viral on social media, hinting at the kind of crowd support she can expect throughout the fortnight.
Gauff in the Way, but Rusedski Is Not Worried
The draw has placed a potential fourth-round meeting with Coco Gauff in Eala's path, a daunting prospect given how well the American has been playing. Rusedski, however, believes that matchup could be a blockbuster rather than a roadblock. Speaking on his podcast, he noted that Eala's fan base is so passionate it can shift the atmosphere of any arena, referencing Jessica Pegula's experience in Washington, where Pegula reportedly felt the crowd was entirely behind Eala despite playing on home soil.
Rusedski also pointed to Eala's training environment at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca as a key factor in her development, arguing that her early ball-striking, return of serve, and mental toughness give her a genuine ceiling at the very top of the game. He even suggested an improved serve could one day make her a world number one contender.
TennisDraw users have already been placing Eala as a popular dark-horse pick to reach the second week in New York.
