Kim Clijsters has pointed to past examples as reason to believe Alex Eala can one day break through and win a maiden Grand Slam title.

The 21-year-old has become one of the most eye-catching players on the WTA Tour, with her rise supported by a devoted fan base. Since turning professional in 2020, Eala has moved forward steadily, but 2026 has taken that progress to another level. She reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and then captured her first WTA Tour title in Washington.

Now ranked No. 20 in the world, the Filipina has still faced questions over whether her serve is strong enough to trouble the game’s leading players. Rennae Stubbs, Serena Williams’ coach, initially doubted Eala could win a major with a serve that sits well outside the top 50 in effectiveness. She later softened that view after Eala’s title run in the American capital.

The serve debate remains active, with some arguing that her left-handed delivery makes it harder to read than it may appear. Others believe she can still improve both first and second serve ahead of the 2027 campaign.

Clijsters, a four-time major winner, then addressed whether Eala and Washington finalist Jessica Pegula can go all the way. On the latest episode of Love All, she said, “I do think they have a chance. Winning a Grand Slam is hard no matter what, whether you have a great first or second serve.

“But Eala and Jessie [Pegula] have such strong weapons when it comes to the return game and because of it they can break an opponent’s serve down.

“Just by being so good and aggressive on the return. And we saw with [Aryna] Sabalenka and [Ekaterina] Alexandrova… those players have bad service games and days too. If you have Sabalenka winning 33% of first service points, of course Eala and Pegula can win a slam if that happens in the final.”

Clijsters also stressed that winning a Slam requires some “luck”, and noted that several champions have lifted major trophies despite imperfect serves. She said Pegula is closer to a breakthrough in 2026 than Eala, but still believes both have the mindset and tools to do it.

Alex Eala’s summer surge has been one of the standout storylines of the season, but the schedule is beginning to ask questions of her body and mind.

The Filipina has put together a remarkable run across two surfaces. On grass, she won a Challenger in Birmingham, reached the semi-finals in Berlin, and advanced to the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time. She then carried that momentum into the North American hard-court swing by winning her first WTA title at the Washington Open.

That title run was built on quality wins over Jessica Pegula, Elina Svitolina, and Naomi Osaka, but it also added to an already punishing workload. Eala has played more matches than anyone else on the WTA Tour, and that fatigue was evident at the Canadian Open. She managed victories over Alycia Parks and Caty McNally, but Belinda Bencic stopped her in the next round, winning in straight sets.

With Cincinnati and the US Open arriving in quick succession, concern is growing about how much Eala has left in reserve. Speaking on The Inside-In Tennis Podcast, Russ Thaler said: “I’m really worried about her mentally and physically going into the US Open. I think she needs it. Not only physically, but physically for sure. Every match she plays seems to be like a death match, right?

“It’s just sort of the way it goes because she can’t hold serve easily. She has trouble serving matches out. And that, I hope, will come in time. Like her serve is so slow that it’s a weapon at times.

“Even she is saying the emotions she’s feeling are so extreme right now that that affects you physically too and I just think for tennis, because I’m trying to think big picture for tennis right, tennis really needs Alex Eala to win a few matches in New York.

“She’s going to be on show courts. I could see Armstrong being her home court if she can get three rounds in and just have the madness happen in New York. But I worry that the gas tank emotionally and physically will be empty by the time she [gets there].

“Let’s not forget she’s going to be being pulled in about a thousand different directions when she gets to New York City for every sponsorship opportunity you could possibly think of. Alex is dealing with a lot. She’s wise beyond her years. She is obviously different, right?

“She’s made of different cloth than a lot, but she is she’s also human and I’m rooting for her to be healthy through this whole thing. And for tennis to really benefit, I think she needs to win some rounds at the US Open and for that to happen, I kind of think losing sooner than later would not hurt.”

Eala is expected to be among the most popular players at the US Open, but that support will matter little if she exits in the first round. There is also a positive memory to draw on in New York, since last year she earned her first Grand Slam win there by beating Clara Tauson in round one.

After a breakout 2025 on the WTA Tour, Alex Eala has carried that momentum into 2026 and established herself as one of the season’s most active players.

The Filipina has stood out most in the summer stretch, first on grass and then at the opening stage of the North American hard-court swing. Her run included a Birmingham Challenger title on grass, a semifinal appearance at the Berlin Open, and her first ever fourth-round showing at Wimbledon.

Her progress continued in North America, where she claimed her first WTA Tour-level title at the Washington Open. That title run came with consecutive wins over Jessica Pegula, Naomi Osaka, and Elina Svitolina.

Those results have helped place Eala at the top of one specific 2026 leaderboard. Through the first eight months of the year, she has played 56 matches, more than any other player on the WTA Tour.

That total puts her ahead of Jessica Pegula, Elina Svitolina, Mirra Andreeva, and Elena Rybakina, who all sit behind her on the list of most matches played this season.

Eala has already entered 21 tournaments in 2026, and the calendar does not appear to be easing up. She is due to play the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, and she has also signed up for the Singapore Open in September.

At 21, she is old enough to handle a demanding schedule, but the volume of tennis is starting to raise questions about fatigue. She looked especially tired at the Canadian Open in matches against Caty McNally and Belinda Bencic, with Bencic eventually ending her run after a second-set bagel.

Eala has not taken a long break this season, unlike some of the players around her. The Asian swing may give her a chance to slow down, but she will also be focused on climbing the rankings and defending points later in the year.

Last year, she played smaller events such as Jingshan and Suzhou. This time, she is more likely to feature at the China Open and Wuhan Open, where more ranking points will be available.