Alex Eala may not own the fastest serve on the WTA Tour, but former World No. 1 Andy Roddick believes that could actually be part of what makes the Filipina tennis sensation so dangerous.
And according to the former US Open champion, opponents who underestimate Eala’s seemingly modest delivery could quickly find themselves in trouble.
Roddick recently broke down why the newly crowned DC Open champion has been able to “get away” with a slower serve—even against elite players such as Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula.
The answer? Eala doesn’t need her serve to finish the point. She uses it to set up the shot that comes next.
Speaking on his “Q&Andy” podcast, Roddick pointed to Eala’s ability to immediately punish weak or poorly placed returns with her powerful groundstrokes.
“Here’s the difference—it’s not just anybody goes out there, hits a slow serve, and gets away with it,” Roddick said.
What separates Eala, he explained, is her ability to “crush” the next ball whenever her opponent fails to make a clean return.
For the 21-year-old Filipina left-hander, the serve can become the opening move in a carefully constructed attack. Instead of relying purely on speed, Eala can change pace, force an uncomfortable return and then attack either corner with her trademark aggressive ball-striking.
That combination, Roddick said, is what makes copying Eala’s strategy far easier said than done.
Players without Eala’s ability to redirect the ball and generate pace from the baseline cannot simply slow down their serves and expect similar results.
“You can’t take someone who doesn’t have Eala’s ball-striking ability or ability to hit directionally to the corners and just say, ‘I’m going to serve slower against Iga Swiatek,’” Roddick said, joking that such a strategy could end badly.
Slow serve, bigger trap?
Roddick even suggested that Eala’s slower second serve may actually be more effective than adding another 10 miles per hour to it.
Why?
Because the change of pace can disrupt an opponent’s rhythm and force her to generate her own speed on the return.
If the return is anything less than decisive, Eala is waiting.
“She’s starting to kind of figure out how to use it,” Roddick said, noting that Eala appears increasingly comfortable using variation instead of becoming obsessed with serve speed.
His warning to opponents was simple: attack the serve properly—or prepare to defend immediately.
“You better hit it firm. Otherwise you’re going for a ride on the next ball,” he said.
It is another fascinating wrinkle in Eala’s rapidly evolving game.
The Filipina star has surged to World No. 20 following a breakthrough stretch highlighted by her historic DC Open championship, where she defeated American star Jessica Pegula in the final.
She later reached the Round of 16 of the Canadian Open before falling to Belinda Bencic.
Now, Eala turns her attention to the Cincinnati Open, where she is set to face Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round after receiving a first-round bye.
And as opponents continue searching for ways to solve Eala, Roddick’s analysis offers an intriguing reminder:
That “slow” serve may not be a weakness at all. It could be the bait—and Alex Eala’s next shot is the trap.