Alex Eala’s breakthrough in 2025 and 2026 has been one of the stories in tennis, as her ardent fans flock to tennis stadiums all around the world.

Eala has proved a major hit in three different continents, as Asian, American, and European fans roar her on as she climbs up the WTA Tour rankings.

The star’s performances have been improving too, particularly during this year’s grass court swing.

Eala won the Birmingham Open, reached the Berlin Open semi-finals, and defeated Iga Swiatek en route to her first Grand Slam fourth round at Wimbledon.

So it’s particularly worrying that Eala seems to be hinting that she is not 100% fit as she prepares to play at the Washington Open as part of the North American hardcourt swing.

Much was made of Eala’s decision not to play with Venus Williams in Washington, despite the pair initially signing up for the doubles entry list.

Explaining the decision to no longer pair with Williams, Eala said at her pre-tournament press conference: “Venus is someone who deserves a partner who can give their all physically, emotionally, mentally.”

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This seemingly implies that Eala is not currently able to play in both formats at a tournament, which is what she has been doing all season.

Eala has paired with the likes of Janice Tjen, Iva Jovic, and Nikola Bartunkova this year, at several major tournaments where she has also played doubles.

Many could argue that it has helped the star acclimatise to the conditions across the WTA Tour calendar too, but the fact that she is not currently up to it is a major worry.

At 21 years old, Eala should be fit and raring to go and the North American hardcourt swing is a vital time for the Filipina player.

Eala is defending just 70 points across the North American swing, until after the US Open, which gives her a huge opportunity to continue to climb up the rankings.

Ahead of the Washington Open, Eala sits at World No 26 and there is every chance she can join the WTA Tour elite with good performances in Washington, Toronto, Cincinnati, and New York.

If she is not fit, however, which she has implied by not partnering with Williams in the United States capital, she could stagnate while other players add much-needed ranking points.

This could be a pivotal time for Eala and only time will tell if her body can help her make yet more ranking history for herself and the Philippines.