Greg Rusedski has backed Alex Eala to have her best Grand Slam run to date as she prepares for her second US Open.
Heading into the fourth and final major of the year, the 21-year-old is at a career-high 18th in the WTA Tour rankings.
The left-hander has enjoyed an excellent summer, including winning the Birmingham Open, the Washington Open, and reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon.
She ended last year 50th in the world, and at this rate, Eala is not far off cracking the top 10 for the first time. The Filipina sits 15th in the WTA Tour Race, just under 1,300 points behind six-time major winner Iga Swiatek in 10th.
The youngster will be seeded at a Grand Slam for the second time in her career, after enjoying that honour for the first time at Wimbledon, with the Quezon City-born player likely to be in the top 20 seeds at Flushing Meadows.
More WTA Tour News
Projected US Open women’s seeds: Alex Eala’s highest position, Aryna Sabalenka headlines
Cincinnati Open: Elena Rybakina issues worrying update after retiring as Iga Swiatek left ‘scared’
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
She has already achieved more than any other tennis player from the Philippines in the country’s history but the 5ft 9in athlete is not done yet.
While some have said that Eala’s serve will stop her from winning a major, others feel that if she can make a few tweaks, that is well within the realms of possibility.
One such Eala enthusiast, Rusedski, believes that the rising WTA star is likely to reach the quarter-finals in New York and if the draw opens up, she could go even further.
He said on the latest episode of Off Court, “She’s going to be seeded as well. So she’s going to have an open section to get into the third round and then push it, hopefully past the fourth round.
“The best Filipino result ever at a major was at Wimbledon. I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets the quarters and onwards, depending on how the draw works out.”
Eala has won a lot of matches in the North American hard court swing. But she knows that momentum only goes so far.
Back at Cincinnati, she said, “Momentum is a thing, I guess, but it’s not concrete and it doesn’t give you any 100% answers. A lot of matches can help with your confidence, but it doesn’t guarantee anything.”
Not many will want to face her at this year’s US Open.
READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner speaks out as he becomes 15th star to withdraw from US Open
