Alex Eala’s Cincinnati Open draw offers no shortage of danger. Greg Rusedski does not believe the rising Filipino star should lose any sleep over it.
Rusedski, the 1997 U.S. Open finalist and a former British No. 1, delivered a confident assessment of Eala’s trajectory on the Off Court With Greg podcast posted Friday. When co-host Kevin Palmer noted that Amanda Anisimova and Linda Noskova could stand between Eala and another deep run, Rusedski argued that her recent form has made the identity of her opponent almost irrelevant.
“Why should she care whether she’s playing an Anisimova, whoever’s in the section?” Rusedski said. “Look at the people she beat to win Washington. It was world-class players from start to finish.”
Eala captured her first WTA Tour singles title at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, becoming the first Filipino to win a tour-level singles championship. Her breakthrough run ended with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory over Jessica Pegula in the final.
Greg Rusedski Praises Alex Eala’s Mental Toughness
Getty Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates after winning a women’s singles match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on day six of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on August 01, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Eala followed her Washington title by reaching the round of 16 at the National Bank Open in Toronto. Belinda Bencic stopped her seven-match winning streak with a 6-4, 6-0 victory, but Rusedski was more impressed by what Eala accomplished while managing the physical and emotional toll of her title run.
“Then she goes to Toronto running on fumes and emotions and still wins a couple of matches as well,” Rusedski said. “So, I’m not worried about it. She competes, she fights, she’s so mentally tough that it doesn’t matter who’s in her way.”
That resilience will be tested immediately in Cincinnati.
Eala, who climbed to a career-high No. 20 in the WTA rankings, earned the No. 17 seed and a first-round bye. She will begin her Cincinnati Open campaign against Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round Saturday, Aug. 15. The match’s court assignment and start time had not been announced as of Friday.
Alex Eala Seeks Revenge Against Elena-Gabriela Ruse
Saturday’s match will be Eala’s second career meeting with Ruse, who owns a 1-0 advantage in their head-to-head series.
Their first encounter came in the final round of 2024 U.S. Open qualifying. Eala won the opening set, but Ruse rallied for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory that prevented the Filipina from reaching the main draw.
The rematch arrives nearly two years later, with Eala now a WTA champion and top-20 player. Ruse advanced in Cincinnati by overwhelming Magda Linette 6-0, 6-3, converting six of eight break-point opportunities and winning 61 of the match’s 102 points.
A victory would send Eala into a potentially compelling third-round matchup against world No. 10 Anisimova. Noskova also could await deeper in the draw after defeating Eala twice during the 2026 season.
Palmer suggested Eala could challenge for a place in the top 10 by the end of the U.S. Open if she produces strong results in Cincinnati and New York. Her improved ranking also gives her the benefits reserved for seeded players, including valuable early-round byes at WTA 1000 tournaments.
The path in Cincinnati remains daunting. Beyond Anisimova and Noskova, Eala could encounter Pegula in the quarterfinals, with Iga Swiatek or Elena Rybakina potentially waiting in the semifinals.
Yet those names do not carry the same intimidating weight they once might have. Eala already owns nine victories over top-10 opponents and has repeatedly demonstrated that she can absorb pressure rather than retreat from it.
“You’ve got to play great tennis to beat her,” Rusedski said. “And I see her only going one direction, and that’s up.”
Cincinnati is Eala’s final tournament before the U.S. Open. It also provides another chance to prove that Washington was not a fleeting breakthrough, but the beginning of a much larger climb.
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