Macci praises Eala: "She is ready to take off and aim for more"
The former coach of Serena Williams believes that the Filipino tennis player has grown a lot lately, so she could surprise everyone at the US Open.
Alexandra Eala arrives at the US Open 2026 as one of the biggest attractions in the women's draw. The qualitative leap of the Filipino tennis player has gone hand in hand with her media impact, making her a true superstar. Rick Macci, former coach of Serena Williams, has shared his thoughts on her, predicting a great tournament in New York for the new tennis idol of the masses.
Through his Twitter account, Macci lavished praise on Eala, stating that she is ready to rise to the next level and break into the top 10 now that she has achieved the most important title of her career in Washington during this tour. "The Philippines is home to many different species of bees, but none have the sting or will make more buzz in New York than the Filipino machine Eala at Arthur Ashe Stadium. She is ready to take off, rise quickly, and aspire for more," he wrote.
Eala comes off reaching the round of 16 at Wimbledon, so she arrives full of confidence to make it into the second week of a Grand Slam and continue climbing the rankings. For now, the Filipino tennis player is ranked number 18 in the world, and considering she lost in the second round last year, she has many chances to surpass herself and continue climbing the standings.
Macci warns Eala of her biggest flaw
However, Macci also took the time to highlight Eala's weak point: her serve. When she plays with her first serve, being left-handed allows her to dominate points despite not having the power of other players. However, when the first serves don’t go in, she has more problems. “Now players will attack her second serve, even if it has a slow and tricky curve for lefties. Matchups are very important with a determined style, but she plays the ball in such a way that her game is more resilient against opponents and she pushes herself to the max."
Despite these advantages, Macci also reminded that "her best surface is hard court, so this is a snapshot of her career, but she always has to remember that this is a game from start to finish." It is true that Eala has become an unprecedented phenomenon, but she still has several players ahead of her on the favorites list. Therefore, all the hype surrounding her figure is fine, but we must tread carefully when placing excessive pressure on her shoulders.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Macci alaba a Eala: "Está lista para despegar y aspirar a más"