"She reminds me a little bit of Maria Sharapova": Alexandra Eala receives big comparison but for very specific reason

Tuesday, 27 October 2026 at 10:23

Alexandra Eala has been compared to that of Maria Sharapova by Greg Rusedski, but not for her game style, but more for the way she has dealt with certain facets of the game since her rise to prominence.

Eala has made her top 20 debut this season, won her first WTA title and reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career in 2026. She's defeated seven top 10 players this year, including Jessica Pegula, Elina Svitolina, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina.

Rusedski has tipped Eala to keep soaring going into 2027 and said that while she has parts of her game to improve, when she does, it will be very much her time. He noted that she was only beaten at tournaments by players who went on to achieve greatness themselves, so it wasn't a fluke win; it was due to happen on their end.

Rusedski gave the prediction that she could end up in the top 10 of the WTA Rankings if she manages to knock her serve up by a certain percentage. “Once she gets that serve into play and starts holding more often, you know, then she gets even more consistent results. You don’t fluke the title the way she did in Washington. "That was beating world-class players week in week out," said Rusedski on Off Court with Greg.

Alex Eala clinches her fist at DC Open final.

ALEXANDRA EALA pumps her first during the womenâ€™s singles final against Jessica Pegula at the Rock Creek Tennis Center

"Her runs at Wimbledon, you know, she’s creating history. Her run at the US Open again, she loses to Shnaider, who beat Jovic as well, and is going deep in the tournament. So that’s not a bad loss to lose to somebody who’s made the semis of the French this year.

“So on paper, yeah, you’re going to have a little bumps in the road, but 2027, I think, is going to be a big year for the Filipina because I think she’s just going to get better, and she’s going to improve, and she’s going to use that aspect.

“If her serve can go up 20%, she’s knocking on the door in the top 10. And for me, she is the number one selling point for the WTA Tour. She’s not two or three; she’s number one.”

Eala akin to Sharapova?

But Eala was also lauded by Rusedski and put akin to Maria Sharapova in the way she deals with certain facets of life on tour, including social media and getting the balance right with everything.

Rusedski, though, continued on that path of saying that if she can just get that serve corrected, that it will be even better, reiterating that fact.

“You look," you talk about our programme, you talk about everybody else’s social media, everybody wants a bit of her, and she’s great for the game. And also, she gets that balance right.”

“She reminds me a little bit of Maria Sharapova. And if she can continue on that path, she’ll get out of it what she wants to get. and she needs to continue to improve in that area of service. If she can get that serve up to where it needs to be, the sky’s the limit.”

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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