Alexandra Eala has been one of the biggest names in women’s tennis since her breakthrough performance at the Miami Open last year. She has attracted many fans worldwide, especially in her home country, the Philippines, who are always there to support the rising star. However, the Filipino sensation hasn’t had consistent results, which former pro Andrea Petkovic recently addressed, along with the solution.
Andrea Petkovic’s Crucial Advice for Alexandra Eala
The 20-year-old star has been a marquee name, getting star treatment at major events. Eala first rose to prominence in late 2022, winning the US Open junior title as the 10th seed by defeating the second seed, Lucie Havlickova, becoming the first Filipina to win a title at this level.
Even though she has yet to lift a single title on the WTA Tour, she has gained a massive fan following. At the Australian Open this year, the Filipino crowd arrived hours early to secure spots on Court 6 due to their large numbers. However, Eala suffered a first-round exit against American Alycia Parks.
Now, this has been a regular story about the Filipino sensation: not being able to deliver deep runs consistently, which former German pro Petkovic recently addressed. On the Tennis Channel, she talked about the one thing Eala needs to improve to become a top-10 star and win major titles.
“One thing and, unfortunately, a big thing: her serve. We’ve seen what she can do when she has a good serving week, which was in Dubai. For example, she served over 60% first serve. She was really hitting her spots, then she can do basically anything because she can beat anybody. She takes the ball so early. She returns amazing,” Petkovic said.
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However, the German icon mentioned that since last year, Eala hasn’t been consistent with her serves, not delivering such impressive performances regularly. “But in the year and a half that I’ve watched her now, her serve is very inconsistent. She has those weeks where she can’t make first serves. The second is very attackable,” she added.
Speaking about the top players who can exploit this weakness, Petkovic said, “Against the big hitters like Sabalenka, Rybakina, even Coco Gauff, who returns so well, Jess Pegula, it’s going to be really difficult to defend your serve despite her being one of the best returners in the game.”
The German praised Eala’s return, which has been crucial to her major wins, but said she needs to improve her serve and make it more consistent if she wants to win major titles and defeat top players regularly. “I think that’s the one thing, and then the sky has no limit,” Petkovic said before concluding.
Alexandra Eala’s Meteoric Rise on the WTA Tour
Following her strong performance on the ITF Circuit, Eala received a Wild Card at the 2025 Miami Open, when she was ranked No. 140 in the world, which changed her career trajectory entirely. As a 19-year-old Wild Card, she defeated multiple Grand Slam champions, including Jeļena Ostapenko, Iga Świątek, and Madison Keys, before losing to American Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.
She became the first Filipina to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal and the first Filipina to defeat a major champion at a tour-level event in the Open Era. More importantly, Eala became the first Wild Card to defeat three major champions in straight sets at a single WTA event.
This truly historic run pushed Eala into the WTA top 100, at world No. 75, and she became a major player, making headlines at the following tournaments. She reached her first tour-level final at the Eastbourne Open, where she lost to Australian teenager Maya Joint.
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At last year’s US Open, she became the first Filipina to record a main-draw win at a Grand Slam after defeating Clara Tauson in the first round. She then won her first WTA 125 title by defeating Panna Udvardy in Guadalajara, marking her first Challenger-level title.
This year, Eala has delivered deep runs at multiple tournaments and recently suffered a fourth-round exit at both legs of the Sunshine Doubles. The Filipina is now preparing for the upcoming clay-court swing, looking to improve on her serve and gain crucial ranking points.
