A former world No 11 has declared that Alex Eala might be “the biggest star in tennis right now” and argued the Filipina star is “a problem for the rest of the field.”
Eala continued her excellent run of form by defeating world No 74 Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round of the Cincinnati Open.
The world No 20, who is making her debut in Cincinnati, was leading 6-1, 3-0 against Ruse when the 28-year-old Romanian retired due to an injury.
The 21-year-old now holds a 8-1 record in the North American summer hard-court season, having won the Washington Open and made the last 16 in Toronto.
Speaking on the Tennis Channel Live desk in Cincinnati, Sam Querrey lauded Eala and said she “could win every tournament she signs up for.”
“It continues. She is such a superstar. We were talking about this during her match now. Is she the biggest star in tennis right now? I kind of think maybe she is. She’s playing like it right now,” said the American.
“She’s definitely in that group right now, I think, of ten women that you could say could win every tournament she signs up for.
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“It’s no longer hype. She is backing up the results tournament after tournament after tournament.
“You might have thought after Miami, was it last year, where she had the run? Maybe the ranking will dive off a little bit. It hasn’t, it just keeps going up. The big, massive win in D.C. two weeks ago, played well in Canada last week. Off to a hot start here, so she’s here to stay.”
The former ATP Tour star hailed the way Eala is handling the pressure that comes with her huge fanbase.
“She’s got extra pressure on her every tournament, and her court is packed with — not only Filipino fans — but just fans from all over the world at this point,” said Querrey.
“And for a lot of players, that can be difficult. Sometimes, it’s tough as a player when the crowd is cheering for you all the time. You feel like you owe it to the crowd to win, and you want to play well for them.
“Sometimes, it’s easier for a player to play in a crowded stadium where everyone’s cheering against you.
“And so for her, she’s playing well, she’s doing it in front of her fans, and she seems to be embracing kind of this superstardom.”
Querrey added: “She’s still young, she’s gonna continue to get better. That’s a problem for the rest of the field, right? And you love to see that.
“She’s not only becoming a superstar in the game. She’s not only putting up the results, but in the things that you don’t see, the work off the court, the work and the practice on the court, she’s starting to improve parts of her game, which is also a great sign.”
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