Alex Eala, the Filipina tennis phenom, grabbed a bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, a respectable showing for sure. But here’s the kicker: she was the top seed, the gold-medal favorite for her country, and she ended up losing in the semi-finals to Wang Xiyu in a tough three-setter, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6. Now, that bronze is cool, but a legendary coach just dropped a truth bomb on why she didn’t get that gold.
Rick Macci Isn’t Holding Back: Eala’s Movement Called ‘Average’
Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, just delivered his verdict on Eala, and it’s got people talking. Straight up, he said one area of her game is “average” when stacked up against the best in women’s tennis. Macci took to X to break it down, giving Eala huge props as “The Philippine Machine” who “can beat anybody anytime anywhere.” He called her an “unreal clean ball striker” who “can control the center of the court” and “eat the second serve for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” Plus, she’s got that “calm gene” mentally. Sounds like a superstar, right? Macci even said she “checks a lot of boxes for the top ten and big upsets in big events because she can hurt you.”
But then came the “but.” Macci pointed out that “because her movement is average, her defence becomes limited at times.” He compared her to Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, saying they’re also “average movers” but “they have the two best serves on the WTA Tour, which helps so much more.” He believes Eala’s serving problems expose that average movement. Ouch.
The Numbers Tell the Hard Truth About Her Serve
Does Macci’s claim about the serve really hold up? The numbers absolutely do. When you look at the 2026 serving metrics, it’s pretty stark. While Rybakina and Sabalenka are chilling in the top five or top 10 for most serving stats, Eala is way outside the top 50 in almost every single one. The only unwanted stat where she’s “closer” to the top is double faults, where she ranks 39th with 146, while Rybakina has 177 (22nd) and Sabalenka has 130 (47th).
Let’s break down the serving stats for a minute:
* **Aces:** Rybakina is first with 411, Sabalenka third with 281. Eala is 54th with a modest 72.
* **Win % on 1st Serve:** Rybakina is 4th (74.1%), Sabalenka 12th (71%). Eala? 124th at 62.4%.
* **Win % of Serve points:** Rybakina leads the pack at 1st (64.4%), Sabalenka is 2nd (64.7%). Eala is 81st with 56.9%.
* **Service Game Win %:** Rybakina 2nd (82.5%), Sabalenka 3rd (81.6%). Eala comes in at 84th with 66.5%.
The pattern is clear. Her first serve percentage (136th at 62.9%) and second serve percentage (60th at 47.6%) also lag significantly behind the elite. Macci isn’t just pulling this out of thin air, the stats back up his assertion that her serve just isn’t getting it done like the top players.
The Stakes: Can Eala Unlock Her Full Potential?
Eala currently sits at 18th in the WTA rankings with 2,276 points, which is a fantastic achievement in itself. She’s proven she can hang with the best, even beat them. This season alone, she’s notched an incredible seven wins against top-10 players. We’re talking about taking down WTA #8 Jasmine Paolini, WTA #4 Coco Gauff (retirement), WTA #2 Elena Rybakina herself, WTA #8 Elina Svitolina (twice!), WTA #3 Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon, and even WTA #3 Jessica Pegula in the Washington Open final. That’s a serious resume!
Macci believes Eala has “a lot of boxes” checked for reaching the top 10 and pulling off big upsets. She’s already doing it! But he’s also warning us: if that serve doesn’t improve, she might never actually hit her full potential. Those wins against the top tier show her immense talent and fighting spirit, but consistent elite performance often hinges on eliminating those “average” areas. It’s an honest assessment, and the question now is how Eala responds. Will she take that constructive criticism and turn those service stats around? We’ll be watching to see if she can add that missing piece to her already impressive game.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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