Alexandra Eala is about to enter the most crucial phase of her season and it could set her up for a charge into the top 10 of the rankings in 2027.
That’s the verdict of former British No 1 Greg Rusedski, who has claimed Eala has what it takes to reach the back end of Grand Slam tournaments from the start of next year.
The Filipina enjoyed her best run at a Grand Slam tournament when she beat defending champion Iga Swiatek to reach the last-16 at Wimbledon in July and she backed that up by winning her first WTA Tour title in Washington a few weeks later.
Now Rusedski has claimed the next phase of her development can be pieced together in the brief break at the end of the season, when Eala and her coaching team can spend time working on her game and, in particular, her serve.
“The off season is huge for Eala,” said Rusedski on an upcoming edition of his podcast.
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“For me, those six weeks to a month period you have, it can make a big difference and we all know her serve if the area she will be working on.
“If you can maximise and get a solution where you can get the speed, the accuracy up and break it down and get that daily work, that’s where it could pay dividends for her.
“For me, I feel like she’s got that work ethic, that belief. And will the coaches be brave and try some new things?
“The rest of her team knows this is something she’s gonna have to continually work on, so once they get to the end of the season, I’m sure working on her serve is number one on the list.
“It’s finding a solution that the player agrees with to get to the next step. So she will improve it. She’s got too good a team of people around her.”
Rusedski has been one of the most vocal supporters of Eala throughout her breakthrough year, but he has warned that 2027 will bring fresh challenges.
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“You have an advantage when you are coming through because people don’t know too much about your game, but they work it out pretty quickly,” he adds.
“That’s why the second season can often be more difficult because you don’t have that surprise factor any more.
“I absolutely think she can get to the quarter-finals and semi-finals of Grand Slams next year, but she needs to improve that serve.
“There’s more breaks in the women’s game because that’s an area they work on a lot more. If you have a better serve, whether it’s in the men’s or the women’s game, it makes a huge difference.
“What I like about Eala is her attitude and there’s no doubt she has it between the ears. That’s so important for any player looking to go to the next level.”
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