Alex Eala has become one of the most compelling stories in the women’s game, rising quickly in the WTA Rankings after her breakthrough run to the semi-finals of the 2025 Miami Open.

The Filipina has followed that run with a string of notable victories over top 10 opponents and has built a fast-growing support base, with demand to see her play already surging.

Her progress has drawn comparisons with Emma Raducanu, who won the 2021 US Open, though Eala now appears better placed to build something more lasting after her own rapid ascent. She has moved beyond that comparison to establish herself as a new leading figure on the WTA Tour, a status that is likely to attract further major sponsorship interest.

Eala’s next event will be the Cincinnati Open, before she heads to the US Open, where she will try to reach the third round for the first time in her career. After that, she is expected to be a major attraction when the tour shifts to Asia.

Her first WTA Tour title in Washington pushed her into the top 20 for the first time, and she has room to climb further because she has limited points to defend in the coming months. A top-10 finish by the end of 2026 would require strong runs at the US Open and in the season’s closing events.

So far, Eala has earned $2,901,015 in prize money and is close to the $3million mark. She already has endorsements with Nike, Globe Telecom, Babolat, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Milo Philippines and Locally Juice.

Her biggest wins include her victory over Iga Swiatek on the way to the Miami semi-finals, plus later success at Eastbourne, Wimbledon and Washington. Speaking about her impact, Greg Rusedski said: “There’s only one other person that I can compare to her sort of star status. It’s Serena Williams,” and Gigi Salmon added: “I just think she’s got everything.”

Cameron Norrie produced one of the most unlikely escapes of the Canadian Open, fighting back from match point down to defeat Alex de Minaur and move through a draining contest in Montreal.

The Brit won 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1 after two hours and 52 minutes in oppressive humidity, a match that became as notable for his repeated shirt changes as for the standard of the recovery. De Minaur held a match point at 5-2 in the second set, but double faulted at the crucial moment, and Norrie seized control from there as the Australian’s level faded.

Norrie’s routine of changing shirts several times during the match prompted plenty of conversation. On multiple occasions he switched shirts during De Minaur’s service games, and he also did so while facing break point on his own serve. Umpire Fergus Murphy appeared mildly puzzled by the sequence of changes.

Although he did not breach any rules, some social media users questioned whether the timing of the shirt swaps was designed to interrupt the rhythm of the match. One X user described them as ‘dirty tactics’, while others wondered whether the pattern of changes was fair.

Norrie later said the reason was straightforward: the conditions were brutal. “It took eight shirts. Had to change a lot,” said Norrie.

“I was just trying to play every point, and I thought it was getting tough, and it was so humid. It felt like a wall. And I was really struggling with that. And if I was struggling, I know I’m a really fit guy, so I was thinking, imagine how he’s feeling, and he must be suffering, too.

“So I wanted to keep pushing and keep pushing, and it ended up paying off in the third set.

“I thought a little bit, in the end of the first set, and in the second set I tried to rush the points a little bit too much. In that moment, all last week, this week, I’ve really been trying to reset every point, regardless of if it was the best point I played or the worst point, and regardless of what happens, just tried to get myself ready, fight every single point.

“And obviously I was down 5-2. It was looking like it was going to be done, but I just said, no, let’s keep playing, keep testing the legs. Managed to do that and get back and find that right balance of not pressing too much and really finding that good balance where I could come forward when I needed to and make good decisions.

“And I managed to do that in the tiebreak, too, and came forward, and I played to win, and that’s what counted.”

The victory means Norrie will move back above Arthur Fery to finish the Canadian Open as British No 1. After an escape of this scale, he may feel he can still push on in Montreal.

A former American ATP Tour player has offered a measured view on Carlos Alcaraz’s chances of making it back in time for the 2026 US Open following a right wrist injury.

Alcaraz has not played since April, when he hurt the wrist during his opening-round win at the Barcelona Open. His return will not come at the Cincinnati Open, after his withdrawal from the Masters 1000 event was confirmed earlier this week.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion also missed Roland Garros and Wimbledon, yet he still remains on the entry list for the 2026 US Open, the season’s final major. Alcaraz is the reigning champion at Flushing Meadows, but there is growing concern that jumping straight into a Slam without a warmup tournament would be a major ask after an injury of this kind.

Speaking on Tennis Channel, Steve Johnson addressed the situation and the frustration felt by followers of the sport.

“I’m just a bit sad for all the tennis fans out there,” said the former world No 21. “We want to see Carlos back – tennis is better when he is out there and competing.

“But look, there are good signs. You can see him moving in some of these videos that he’s posting, it’s getting closer and closer.

“But you’ve got to just be so careful with the right wrist injury for Carlos. He’s so young, still so much life ahead of him on tour. So you can’t rush it back, but I really hope he’s back for the [US] Open.”

Johnson also stressed that a return should only come if Alcaraz is fully ready.

“For the common man, no [I would not advise them to return for the US Open]. But if you’re Carlos Alcaraz, you can do whatever you want. If there’s somebody that could do it, I believe it’s him.

“But you just got to be super smart because that’s his money-maker – that right wrist, that forehand, that serve, the power that he can generate.

“So unless he is 100% healthy and feels that he can finish the tournament, seven matches, best three out of five, then he shouldn’t play, which is not what you want to hear as a tennis fan.”