2026 has definitely been Alexandra Eala‘s most successful season on the Tour so far. Not only did she capture her maiden WTA title at the Citi Open, but her popularity skyrocketed due to her form. However, Grand Slams are the tournaments where she just can’t seem to deliver.

Her best result at a major this year came at Wimbledon, where she reached the Round of 16. But prominent tennis coach Rick Macci is confident that Eala can become a title contender at Grand Slams if she improves one important aspect of her game.

“The Philippine Machine has a game that is based on controlling the center of the court and attacking the serve,” he wrote on X. “She does both with conviction and clean strikes to take away time. Her movement is ok because she fights and tries. But if the Serve Becomes The Best Tool in the box she is a grand slam winner and will blow off your socks.”

Eala isn’t known for having a strong serve and has hit 71 aces so far during the 2026 season. There have been many matches where she has failed to hit even a single ace. The Filipina has won 58% of the points on her serve, which isn’t a very high number. An improvement in the area would help Eala finish off her service games quickly and put pressure on her opponents.

Other than her serve, Eala has pretty much elevated the rest of her game in 2026. She has a win-loss record of 40-21 this year and a number of those victories came during the US swing. Eala had a remarkable run at the Citi Open, defeating players like Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula on her way to the title.

But she wasn’t able to keep up the same form in the tournaments that followed. Eala suffered a 6-4, 6-0 defeat to Belinda Bencic in the Round of 16 at the Canadian Open. This was followed by a Round of 32 exit at the Cincinnati Masters as Amanda Anisimova defeated her 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. The US Open didn’t prove to be any better for the World No. 18 as she got knocked out in the third round by Iva Jovic 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.

Eala has also had a dismal start to the Asian swing, losing in the Round of 16 at the Singapore Open. She was unexpectedly defeated 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 by Tatiana Prozorova. Despite putting in a gritty effort, Eala wasn’t able to get the better of the 22-year-old Russian. If the loss wasn’t enough, she also had to face an awkward question in the post-match press conference.

Alexandra Eala faces uncomfortable question after her Singapore Open exit

Eala was asked whether the loss was a blessing in disguise as she had a brutal travelling schedule ahead of her because of the Asian Games. While travelling can indeed be exhausting at times for players, Eala didn’t quite believe that an early exit would help in improving her physical condition.

“It’s hard to see a loss as a blessing in disguise. Sorry, I was not expecting that question,” she said during her post-match press conference. “I would have wanted to win today. I would have wanted to go further in the tournament. But whether it’s a blessing in disguise or not, it doesn’t matter at present. What matters to me is learning from this loss and preparing for my next match.”

Eala has decided to miss the China Open in favor of the Asian Games. With both Naomi Osaka and Qinwen Zheng not being in the mix, the Filipina can be considered as the clear favorite for the gold medal. She is the top seed in the women’s singles draw and thus, earned a first-round bye.

Eala will begin her Asian Games campaign in the Round of 16 with the clash against Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej. This will be the second time that the two will be locking horns. Eala had previously played Cheapchandej at the  ITF W25 Chiang Rai in 2022 and had triumphed 6-3, 6-4.