"Make the lefty liability lollipop into a Filipino Flame": Former Serena Williams coach sees glaring issue with Alexandra Eala's game
WTA
Alexandra Eala has enjoyed a rapid rise in 2026, winning her first WTA title and producing a number of big runs and top 10 wins. However, the glaring weakness in her game has been identified as the serve with Rick Macci assessing how this can be solved.
Ranked 20th in the world, the 21-year-old has continued to improve following her breakthrough 2025 campaign. The pinnacle came at the DC Open, where she defeated Jessica Pegula in the final to win the title. Her best major run came at Wimbledon, as she made the second week with more deep runs in tournaments becoming more common.
A tricky player to come up against, many players dread to face the Filipina, who also boasts a passionate fan base watching her every move. However, the elephant in the room is the serve.
It has been well documented surrounding the lack of power executed, especially in the second serve. While it has come to her benefit before, catching out players who are used to more power coming at them, it is still a vocal point for many.
Macci, who has had an esteemed coaching career with the likes of the Williams sisters being taken under his wing, assessed this specific area of her game, and tried to put his finger on how it can be resolved.
Alexandra Eala is progressing very well in tennis, but her serve is still under scrutiny
“The Philippine Machine has a chance to start clean,” the American wrote on X. “Her serve in the off season can be rewired 100% with a science based biomechanical approach brick by brick. She needs to go deep under the hood as right now everything is misunderstood."
There was a reason behind this, and Macci was already on to it.“It is not the toss or power position or her legs on and on. The serve seen at 400 frames a second is 100% off as the racket entry is already in and on the other side of her body creating all the symptoms most see."
He explained how this can be altered, but time would be needed. “If her team wants to totally flip the script and go into the lab and make the lefty liability lollipop into a Filipino Flame this one surgical decision will change her career and Game.”
Tricky spell in Asia halting progress
Eala was on top of the world after the grass and North American hardcourt swing with some fine showings. It has gone downhill since. She was stunned in her opening match at the Singapore Open against Tatiana Prozorova.
She then travelled to Japan to compete in the Asian Games, falling short in the semi-finals and being forced to settle with a disappointing bronze medal for her country. She returned to the WTA Tour at the Wuhan Open, but Chinese qualifier Han Shi produced the most unlikely upset on home soil.
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That was two disastrous defeats for Eala, who needed to pick herself up quickly. A 6-3, 6-1 win over Diane Parry at the Ningbo Open was a good start, but eventual semi-finalist Diana Shnaider proved too good for her, winning in straight sets and sending her out at the last-16 stage.
She is going back to Japan to compete in the Pan Pacific Open and has the World No.308 Mika Stojsavljevic as her opening task. The 17-year-old Brit will look to cause some more trouble for Eala, who is desperate to get back on track with a positive string of results.
Lucas MichaelTennis Journalist
Lucas Michael is a tennis journalist based in Cambridge, UK, specializing in comprehensive coverage of the ATP and WTA tours. For the past 1.5 years, he has been a core contributor to TennisUpToDate, where he has authored more than 3,000 data-driven match reports, deep-dive analysis pieces, and engaging liveblogs.
Lucas pairs real-time statistical analysis with on-the-ground reporting, frequently traveling to tournaments to cover the action firsthand from the press box and player press conferences. This blend of advanced metrics and direct access allows him to provide sharp context regarding player form, tactical trends, and breaking tour developments.
He holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. Grounded in core journalistic ethics, Lucas places a strict emphasis on meticulous sourcing, editorial accuracy, and a commitment to updating live content swiftly as verified information emerges.
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