Who is the biggest superstar in tennis right now? Sam Querrey pitches surprising name

Tennis is one of the biggest sports in the world, and due to this has an abundance of superstars. From World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka to Grand Slam champions Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff, the WTA is not spoilt for choice. However, former professional Sam Querrey went for a left-field choice in the form of Alexandra Eala thanks to her spell-binding form as of late and the support she has amassed in such a short space of time.

Eala marveled fans once more at the Cincinnati Open after blasting out of the blocks to batter a hapless and injured Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-1, 3-0. After being broken in the first game, Eala never looked back. Nine games in a row were won before lightning followed by torrential rain halted proceedings.

The matches continued on all of the courts aside from Stadium 3. This was due to the Romanian deciding not to return to the action as she was struggling with a right foot problem, seeking a medical timeout moments before play was interrupted.

This meant that Eala breezed through with another eye-catching display which again caused tennis fans and pundits to sing her praises.

The American was not holding back in his praise of the 21-year-old. “It continues. She’s such a superstar.," he said on the Tennis Channel. "We were talking about this during her match now. Is she the biggest star in tennis right now? I kind of think maybe she is. She’s playing like it right now. She’s definitely in that group right now, I think, of ten women that you could see winning every tournament she signs up for."

Eala was longed hype to be one of the best players on tour, but it seems that in recent weeks she has taken that next step. Nothing highlights that more than the DC Open title triumph. “It’s no longer hype. She is backing up the results tournament after tournament after tournament," Querrey analysed.

“You might have thought after Miami, was it last year, where she had the run?. Maybe, you know, the ranking will dive off a little bit. It hasn’t; it just keeps going up. The big, massive win in D.C. two weeks ago, played well in Canada last week, off to a hot start here, so she’s here to stay.”

It may come to a surprise to many that this was Eala's first match at the Cincinnati Open. While she has played in WTA 1000 events in prior to 2026, including that famous 2025 Miami Open run, this time last year she was continuing going up the ranks while learning and gaining valuable experience.

Following her maiden Canadian Open match last year, she skipped Cincinnati to focus on the US Open. A year on, and she looks like a natural on court. Of course it has to be highlighted the support she gets week in week out, but Querrey chose to focus on the pressure that comes with the expectation placed on her shoulders.

“She’s got extra pressure on her every tournament, and her court is packed with not only Filipino fans, but just fans from all over the world at this point, right?" he commented.

“And for a lot of players, that can be difficult. Sometimes it’s tough as a player when the crowd is cheering for you all the time. You feel like you owe it to the crowd to win, and you want to play well for them. Sometimes it’s easier for a player to play in a crowded state or a crowded stadium where everyone’s cheering against you. And so for her, she’s playing well, and she’s doing it in front of her fans, and she seems to be embracing kind of this superstardom.”

The most exciting part is that she is still so young and has a lot of tennis to be played in what could turn out to be a hugely successful career. “She’s still young, she’s gonna continue to get better. That’s a problem for the rest of the field, right? And you love to see that.

“You know, she’s not only becoming a superstar in the game. She’s not only putting up the results, but in the things that you don’t see, the work off the court, the work, the practice on the court, she’s starting to improve parts of her game, which is also a great sign.”

Eala's form has been extraordinary of late, but one of the main takeaways is through her consistent battering of top 10 talents. It does not matter if you are one of the best players in the world, the current trend seems to be that you will struggle against Eala.

In total, Eala has got nine top 10 wins to her name. Over half of them have come in the last three months. Rybakina and Elina Svitolina (twice) faltered to the hands of the Filipina, reigning Wimbledon champion Swiatek bowed out on Centre Court in a tie that she was second best in, and most recently the number one seed in Washington, Jessica Pegula, was bageled in a rampant display by Eala who sealed a first WTA title in style.

Her latest top 10 test awaits in the form of Amanda Anisimova. Already the pick of the third round contests, this could be a thriller between two big hitters who can most certainly put on a display on court. It is going to be a first meeting between the pair with a spot in the last-16 of the Cincinnati the reward for the eventual winner.