Alex Eala gets honest clay verdict and top 20 ranking message from former world No 4
Former world No 4 Greg Rusedski has revealed why he thinks Alex Eala could be tough to play against on clay as he declared he would ” love to see her in the top 20.”
Eala will begin her 2026 clay-court season against world No 89 Julia Grabher in the opening round of the WTA 500 tournament in Linz.
The Filipina will be playing her first match since the Miami Open, and she is seeking her maiden WTA Tour title.
The 20-year-old is currently ranked 46th, having reached her career-high ranking of world No 29 last month.
Speaking on his Off Court With Greg Rusedski podcast, Rusedski discussed Eala’s huge popularity and her prospects for the clay season.
“She’s like Manny Pacquiao, and they’re always so hungry for a new superstar [in the Philippines],” said the 1997 US Open runner-up.
“She’s a lovely girl, she’s been at the Rafael Nadal academy for multiple years. We talked about the serve getting better.
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“It’s gonna be harder for people to hit a hole through her [on clay], it’s gonna be much more physically combative.
“Being at the academy with Rafa on clay, he’s spent a lot of time with her, so she knows what to do.
“I’d love to see her in the top 20; she is great for the WTA. We need more stars, we need more names, and we need new people. And she opens up a marketplace, and people just love her.
“Anywhere around the world where there are people from the Philippines, they’re always talking about her: ‘What meal can I cook for her? What can I do?’
“Automatically, her matches sell out, and for me, she is a huge, huge positive. I’d love to see her, on this surface, crack the top 20 in the world.”
Following Eala’s 6-0, 6-2 loss to Karolina Muchova in the last 16 in Miami last month, Rusedski assessed that the Filipina’s serve is a shot she must improve.
“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.