Serena Williams’ former coach says one area of Alex Eala’s game is ‘average’ as she fails to win Asian Games gold

Serena Williams' former coach Rick Macci stated that Alex Eala's movement is "average" after the Filipina tennis player took bronze at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Top seed Eala missed out on gold following a 6-3, 3-6, 2-6 semi-final loss to China's Wang Xiyu. While praising Eala's ball striking and mental composure, Macci argued her defense is limited without an elite serve to offset her movement.

Eala currently sits 18th in the WTA rankings and holds seven top-10 victories in 2026, though statistics show her serving metrics trail top players like Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka. After skipping Beijing to compete in the Asian Games, Eala will return to the tour as the 16th seed at the Wuhan Open, receiving a first-round bye.