Alex Eala has been absolutely sublime over the summer months, but it is beginning to take its toll.
The star enjoyed a stellar grass court swing by winning a Challenger event in Birmingham, reaching the semi-finals of the Berlin Open, and getting to the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time.
Eala hit the ground running on the North American hardcourt swing too, but winning her first-ever WTA title at the Washington Open.
The Filipina star defeated Jessica Pegula, Elina Svitolina, and Naomi Osaka en route to the Washington Open title, so she has played plenty of tennis in recent months.
Eala has played more matches than anyone else on the WTA Tour and she looked very tired at the Canadian Open as a result.
While she was able to defeat Alycia Parks and Caty McNally, she eventually became unstuck against Belinda Bencic, who swept aside the 21-year-old in straight sets.
With the Cincinnati Open and the US Open to come in quick succession, The Tennis Channel’s Russ Thaler has expressed a worry for the star.
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Speaking on The Inside-In Tennis Podcast, Thaler said: “I’m really worried about her mentally and physically going into the US Open. I think she needs it. Not only physically, but physically for sure. Every match she plays seems to be like a death match, right?
“It’s just sort of the way it goes because she can’t hold serve easily. She has trouble serving matches out. And that, I hope, will come in time. Like her serve is so slow that it’s a weapon at times.
“Even she is saying the emotions she’s feeling are so extreme right now that that affects you physically too and I just think for tennis, because I’m trying to think big picture for tennis right, tennis really needs Alex Eala to win a few matches in New York.
“She’s going to be on show courts. I could see Armstrong being her home court if she can get three rounds in and just have the madness happen in New York. But I worry that the gas tank emotionally and physically will be empty by the time she [gets there].
“Let’s not forget she’s going to be being pulled in about a thousand different directions when she gets to New York City for every sponsorship opportunity you could possibly think of. Alex is dealing with a lot. She’s wise beyond her years. She is obviously different, right?
“She’s made of different cloth than a lot, but she is she’s also human and I’m rooting for her to be healthy through this whole thing. And for tennis to really benefit, I think she needs to win some rounds at the US Open and for that to happen, I kind of think losing sooner than later would not hurt.”
Eala is set to be one of the most popular stars at the US Open, but that will mean nothing if she is beaten in her first round match.
The star has fond memories of the New York Grand Slam, having picked up her very first Grand Slam victory at the tournament last year, when she defeated Clara Tauson in round one.
