Alexandra Eala told there’s one ‘big thing’ she must fix to break into WTA top 10

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images Alex Eala will be aiming to move back up the WTA rankings when she heads to the Linz Open next week. The Filipina has had an impressive season so far, picking up wins over players like Coco Gauff and Jasmine Paolini. But her momentum was halted in Miami, where Karolina Muchova handed her a heavy defeat in the fourth round.

The loss saw her drop 16 spots to world number 45, a setback she’ll be looking to address quickly. If Eala wants to keep climbing the rankings, there are definitely some aspects of her game that could use tightening up. One of them is her serve.

She sometimes struggles with consistency and speed, which can put her on the back foot early in points. Andrea Petkovic says Alex Eala must improve her serve in order to reach the WTA top 10 Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images Andrea Petkovic, the former world number nine, talked about Eala’s recent form while speaking with former top 20 player Alison Riske-Amritraj. The pair spoke on the Big T Podcast, where both pointed out that Eala’s serve needed some attention.

“I think it’s one thing and unfortunately it’s a big thing: the serve,” said Petkovic [pictured below]. “We have seen what she can do when she has a good serving week, which was in Dubai for example. “She served over 60 per cent first serves and was hitting her spots, and then she can basically do anything because she can beat anybody, she takes the ball so early and returns amazingly.