ALEX Eala may not be a threat at Wimbledon which starts on Monday, but she has managed to attract the experts who have installed her as one of the players to watch in the Grand Slam tournament.
In a ranking published by the New York Times, Eala, 21, was among the underdogs in a list of 15 contenders and past champions at the world’s toughest tennis tournament.
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The list includes familiar names such as Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauf, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova and lesser lights Emma Raducanu, Donna Vekic, and Barbora Krejcikova. Also on the list is Serena Williams who is predicted to grab the most attention.
That Eala is on the list is another affirmation that the Filipino star, who has already made history by becoming the first player in the country to be seeded at a major championship, has become an important force in tennis.
This recognition comes even though her record since turning professional is not as voluminous as most of the others in the 128-player draw, where she is seeded 29th.
READ Eala's Wimbledon run could go through Serena, Iga early
She has indeed come very far from the time when just two years ago, she was battling for a spot in the main draw and memorably missed getting one in 2024, losing in the final hurdle of qualifying.
She’s been losing a lot this year, but, on the hand she’s also been winning a lot, including a WTA 125 title, the Birmingham Open, last month, her first title on a grass surface, and her second overall.
But perhaps what earned her notice was her recent record. In the past month, she beat Queen’s champion Donna Vekić, 2022 Wimbledon champion Rybakina and top-10 player Elina Svitolina, all grass-court wins.
How she did it was explained by The Times: “For one, Eala is a lefty. A slice serve in the ad court off a lefty’s racket can be very unpleasant to manage. She is very aggressive against weak serves, which can become invitations to tee off on grass. And she also possesses a kind of fearlessness that allows her to lose points and games while still believing she can finish the match on top. That’s helpful anywhere, but especially on grass, where matches can be messy and everyone makes errors.”
On the other hand, the article also noted: “She doesn’t have a dangerous serve. She doesn’t finish points at the net that much — at least not yet. But Eala’s win percentage on grass is her best by surface by a distance, and one result on it before she became a known quantity has proven symbolic.”
Eala’s first match will be against Renata Zarazua of Mexico who many may dismiss as easy prey for the Filipino. But it might be wise to remember that the Mexican holds a 1-0 record against Eala.
They met two years ago and Zarazua prevailed in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Zarazua was then the higher ranked player who faced a newbie in Eala who was 19 at the time. Currently, Eala is 30th in rankings, Zarazua 76th.
What is intriguing, however, is not this game, it is the next ones. Should Eala win, her next match could possibly be against Serena Williams, the 7-time Wimbledon champion and 23-time major winner, who is coming out of retirement at age 44.
Williams, however, must first beat Maya Joint of Australia in her opener. Joint is the same player who beat Eala in the finals of Eastbourne in 2025, one of the events that started Eala’s tennis ascent.
Then if Eala beats her first two opponents, at the other side of the net may be defending champion Iga Swiatek.
Nothing is certain in tennis and, for that matter, other sports, too. But with the sun shining bright on her career, this Wimbledon could be ripe for Eala to make a big statement.
We are hoping she does.
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