"Wimbledon is her best shot to go deep at a major" - Alexandra Eala touted for Grand Slam success as Rusedski advises focussing on serve improvements

Alexandra Eala broke new ground at Grand Slam level over the past week, reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon before being dumped out by Jasmine Paolini in three sets. Greg Rusedski has been keenly watching her progress and advised her to take inspiration off Novak Djokovic when improving her serve. If she can improve this, then he even suggested a title run at SW19 could be on the cards in the future.

The Filipina has a huge potential in the sport, showcased on a number of occasions. Coming into Wimbledon 2026, she had only got one win at Grand Slam level, coming in the 2025 US Open. She was determined to add some more triumphs to that, and most certainly did so.

Renata Zarazua was taken down before a comeback win over fellow young talent Maya Joint got her going. Eala had enjoyed a brilliant grass swing, winning a WTA 125 tournament in Birmingham along with a semi-final in the Berlin Ladies Open.

All of this experience was put to good use as she defeated reigning champion Iga Swiatek in one of the biggest stories of the tournament. On Centre Court, Eala rode her luck in the first set following missed set points by Swiatek in the tiebreak. Eala also spurned chances but was able to eventually get out on top and blast clear. From there, she did not look back. Swiatek's level dropped, but her's kept at a reasonably high level as she strode to glory.

2024 runner-up Paolini was her latest task, and ultimately her last. The Italian won the third and final set to seal the win and a spot in the quarter-finals, keeping Eala at bay and halting her noticeable progress on court.

Rusedski outlined the areas that Eala could improve in, emphasising power as a key component to rise into the elite of the women's game. Many of the top players can hit the ball ferociously hard, including Eala at times with some immense groundstrokes. While her serves are distinctively weak, that is the specific area of improvement.

She used Djokovic as a specific example for her to base this improvement off. “No question she can add more power but also she had some strapping on the elbow, so that was a little bit disconcerting," he said on Off Court.

“She doesn’t make any excuses, she’s in the Rafael Nadal mould, and I like her. She’s a great competitor, with great returns and groundstrokes. But I look at her serve and I feel she can loosen up the wrist position a little bit like Novak Djokovic.

“I feel like she can get the throwing position a little bit better. She’s got a good swing on the serve but she needs to find that balance of when and when not to hit it. She’s got to put more reps in and just make a slight tweak in the technique. It’s not too much to do.”

Still only 21-years-old, there is still countless years left of what could be a flourishing career for Eala. Already having made a decent impression with a number of top 10 wins and some deep runs that have caught the eye of many, Rusedski has set the bar as high as it can get.

The former British number one was of the opinion that Eala could go and win one of these major titles in the future if her game comes together. “This will not be her last fourth round, and for me, Wimbledon is her best shot to go deep at a major and really have a chance to win it one day."

However, he again emphasised the serve. "But the serve needs to become a weapon, where she can get the first strike in after the serve. She has the knowledge of how to mix it but she needs a little more accuracy and power, and that will come in time.”