The One Fix Standing Between Eala And Glory
Alex Eala just had her best Grand Slam run yet. Greg Rusedski thinks one change could take her all the way.
A Breakthrough With a Catch
Eala reached the fourth round of Wimbledon 2026, the deepest of her career, before falling to Jasmine Paolini in three sets on Monday. Along the way, she beat defending champion Iga Swiatek, a result that turned heads across the tour.
Former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski broke down the run on his podcast, Off Court. His read: Eala has the fight, the returns, and the groundstrokes to compete deep into majors. Her serve is what’s holding her back.
Where Djokovic Comes In
Rusedski’s fix points to an unlikely blueprint: peak era Novak Djokovic.
Djokovic’s serve wasn’t always a weapon. In his early 20s, during a short stretch working with coach Todd Martin in 2009 and 2010, he struggled to find consistency on his first delivery. It took years of small adjustments before he became one of the best spot servers in the game, even without elite ball speed.
Rusedski wants Eala to make a similar shift. “I look at her serve and I feel she can loosen up the wrist position a little bit like Novak Djokovic,” he said. “I feel like she can get the throwing position a little bit better. She’s got a good swing on the serve but she needs to find that balance of when and when not to hit it.”
The Numbers Behind the Gap
Eala’s serve currently ranks well outside the WTA top 50. Everything else in her game has carried her into the top 30, and Rusedski believes closing that one gap could push her toward the top 20.
He also flagged a smaller concern from Wimbledon: strapping on her serving elbow. “She doesn’t make any excuses,” he said. “She’s in the Rafael Nadal mould, and I like her.”
What Comes Next
Eala is expected to return at the Washington Open, joining a field that includes Naomi Osaka, Elina Svitolina, and Madison Keys. A title there would add 500 ranking points, closer to that top 20 breakthrough. It would also mark her first real test on hard courts after a season built almost entirely on grass.
The serve fix won’t happen overnight. But Rusedski’s message is simple. The rest of the game is already major ready.
