Sports · Tennis · 4 hrs ago
Jessica Pegula’s coach praises Alex Eala amid women’s tennis depth
Jessica Pegula’s coach Mark Knowles praised Alex Eala while discussing the depth of women’s tennis.
Eala, from the Philippines, beat Pegula to win her first WTA title at the Washington Open and became a top-20 player for the first time.
Knowles called Eala an “incredible player” and said many players are breaking through.
He also pointed to established players such as Belinda Bencic and Elina Svitolina continuing to compete at a high level.
Women’s tennis has a mix of new challengers and experienced players, so Knowles said players must keep improving.
He cited Pegula’s 2026 statistics, including a career-best 76% of service games won, as evidence of her progress.
Pegula and Eala have played twice and split those matches, but cannot meet again until the 2027 season.
Jessica Pegula’s coach, Mark Knowles, called Alex Eala an “incredible player” while discussing the depth of women’s tennis.
Eala beat Pegula to win her first WTA title at the Washington Open.
The victory also took Eala into the top 20 for the first time.
Knowles said players are breaking through while established players are continuing to improve.
He also cited Pegula’s 2026 statistics as evidence of her progress.
- Who
- Mark Knowles praised Alex Eala. Knowles coaches Jessica Pegula.
- What
- Knowles called Eala an “incredible player” while discussing the depth of women’s tennis.
- When
- Knowles made the comments on a podcast, reported on October 24, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- Knowles was discussing the depth of women’s tennis and players’ continued improvement.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Knowles became part of Pegula’s coaching team alongside Mark Merklein.
Eala beat Pegula to win her first WTA title at the Washington Open and enter the top 20 for the first time.
Knowles cited Pegula’s season statistics, including 19 three-set match wins and 272 aces.
Tennis Head reported Knowles’s comments on the Inside-In Tennis Podcast.
- Coach
- Mark Knowles
- Eala’s first WTA title
- Washington Open
- Eala ranking milestone
- Top 20 for the first time
- Pegula three-set match wins
- 19 in 2026
- Pegula aces
- 272 in 2026
What people are saying
Alex Eala, 12 months ago we had barely heard of her, incredible player.
When you look at the depth in the women’s game, incredible.
So there’s so much depth and you have to just keep on improving.