Tennis great Tim Henman names Alex Eala as US Open dark horse

Tennis legend Tim Henman has a firm belief that Alexandra "Alex" Eala has what it takes to make a deep run at the US Open, naming the Filipina star as one of the tournament’s dark horses.

The 51-year-old Henman, a former world No. 4 with 11 singles titles to his name, said the 21-year-old Filipina has seen a surge in her game in recent months, as evidenced by the statement wins she has picked up during the North American swing alone.

And with Eala continuing to make waves, Henman believes the Filipina can pull off a few surprises at the final Grand Slam of the year.

"Unbelievable competitor," Henman, one of the best players during the early 2000s, said as part of Sky Sports panel of experts.

"I love her attitude and that spirit. So as an outsider I'm very happy with that pick."

Henman, however, has world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka as his top pick to win the US Open, where she is bidding for a historic three-peat after ruling the tournament in 2024 and 2025, beating Americans Jessica Pegula and Amanda Anisimova in the respective finals.

But Eala is also on Henman’s radar, with the Filipina not only elevating her game but also building a growing fan base among tennis followers.

"The improvement she's made in her game and add to that the support that she has, she really is great to watch," Henman said.

Eala has had a stellar North American campaign so far, beating several top players, including Pegula in the finals, to rule the Mubadala DC Open. She then competed in a pair of WTA1000 events, reaching the Round of 16 of the Canadian Open before making the Round of 32 of the Cincinnati Open.

In her upcoming US Open campaign, Eala will face Mary Stoiana in the opening round scheduled on Wednesday at 8:40 a.m.

—Bea Micaller/JMB, GMA News