Alex Eala’s rapid ascent continues to command attention across tennis, and the latest praise for her has reached rare company. Her breakout on the WTA Tour at the 2025 Miami Open first announced her to a wider audience, but the last few weeks have taken her profile to another level.

The 21-year-old has just produced the strongest Grand Slam run of her career, reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon and beating defending champion Iga Siwatek at the All England Club. She then added another major achievement by winning her first WTA Tour title at the Washington Open earlier this week.

That title run was built on a series of notable wins. In Washington, Eala defeated Olympic champion Wang Xinyu, defending Washington champion Leylah Fernandez, the dangerous Elina Svitolina and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka before getting past Jessica Pegula in the final.

Former British No 1 Greg Rusedski has now joined the growing praise surrounding Eala, comparing her star power to Serena Williams, who won 23 Grand Slam titles.

“There’s only one other person that I can compare to her sort of star status. It’s Serena Williams,” declared Rusedski on his podcast.

He added: “Wherever Serena played, everybody was cheering and going for her, and no matter where she plays, whether it’s in America, whether it’s in Europe.

“Now we are seeing this happening with Eala. The Filipino population follows her. She is the biggest sports star in the country by far of any male or female superstar that they have.

“It’s great to see the passion of those fans because every time she plays, they’re there supporting. They’re ready to go. We already talked about the sellout for opening match in Toronto. It just shows you that star power.

“People are putting their hard-earned money to come watch her because they love her, they like her personality, they like her game.

She’s just got it. You know, some people just have that thing. They show up and they have that superstar status right away and she has that. This is such a blessing for the WTA.

“I can’t wait to see how the role continues in Toronto and Cincinnati getting ready for the US Open. But she has put herself in the mix. You win a hardcore tournament going into the US Open. That breeds a lot of confidence.”

Rusedski also said: “She’s a joy to watch. She’s a lovely person. She speaks exceptionally well,” he added. “And as I said before, she has it. I’m happy to talk about her every single week. She’s a joy for our sport, and we’re lucky to have her.”

Jimmy Connors has made clear he is impressed by Alex Eala, while also reflecting on the growing support surrounding the Filipina standout.

Eala claimed the first title of her career at the WTA 500 event in Washington DC, a result that carried her into the top 20 of the rankings for the first time. The 21-year-old then carried that momentum into Toronto, where she opened her WTA 1000 campaign with a win over Alycia Parks on Wednesday. She now moves on to face Caty McNally in the third round in Canada.

Connors spoke about Eala’s progress on the latest episode of the Advantage Connors podcast and did not hide his appreciation for what she has achieved so far.

“Let’s talk about her fanbase and the success she’s had, and what she brings to the women’s game is pretty amazing,” said the eight-time major champion.

He also pointed to the significance of her Washington breakthrough and the next step that could follow.

“The breakthrough to win a 500. What’s next on her list? A 1000 [event], because she’s got that opportunity leading up to a Grand Slam.

“We talk about confidence all the time, and with that confidence and with the following like that, that shows up to her matches and get behind her, I know what a crowd can do for you and how it can push you to levels of play that you never thought that you could reach yourself, because that little extra push sometimes wins matches for you.

Connors added that he likes her style of play, citing her left-handed game, early ball-striking and willingness to attack on returns. He described her approach as “Very refreshing to see” and said, “Keep knocking on the door, keep knocking on those tournaments and good things will happen. It’s already started for her.”

He then explained why the response around her matters so much, saying the atmosphere can lift her and raise the profile of the women’s game at the same time. Connors summed it up by saying the attention is “great” and that the crowd involvement helps make tennis more compelling.

Alex Eala will again take centre stage at the Canadian Open, with her third-round meeting against Caty McNally scheduled for Centre Court in Toronto.

The 21-year-old arrives in strong form and with momentum that has quickly made her one of the tournament’s main attractions. Less than 48 hours after claiming her first WTA Tour singles title by beating Jessica Pegula in the rain-delayed Washington DC Open final, Eala extended her run by defeating Alycia Parks in Toronto.

Her growing support has been impossible to miss. Eala’s Filipino fan base has been turning out in large numbers whenever she plays, and that was evident again during her opener against Parks. Given that response, tournament organisers have kept her on the main court. The Eala-McNally match will also be played under the lights of Sobeys Stadium’s feature court on Friday.

The Centre Court schedule on 8 August opens with Elena Rybakina against Ann Li at 12:30 local time (16:30 GMT). That will be followed by Mirra Andreeva’s match with Leylah Fernandez. Later in the evening, Coco Gauff faces Maria Sakkari before Eala and McNally are due on at around 20:30 local time (0:30 GMT). If Gauff and Sakkari need a long battle, the start time for Eala’s match could be delayed.

McNally, ranked No 70, sits 20 places below her career-high of 50, which she reached in June this year. She opened with a three-set win over qualifier Tatjana Maria and then produced one of the most notable results of her run, upsetting newly crowned Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.

That victory was only her second against a top-10 opponent, following a win over Victoria Mboko at the Madrid Open this year. The 24-year-old has yet to reach a WTA singles final, though she has collected nine doubles titles and was a runner-up at back-to-back US Opens, partnering Coco Gauff in 2021 and Taylor Townsend the following year.

Eala, ranked world No 25, and McNally will meet for the first time on the WTA Tour. The winner will advance to face either Taylor Townsend or 12th seed Belinda Bencic in the fourth round.