Key Takeaways
- Alex Eala won the WTA Star of the Hard Court Swing award with 78% of the fan vote after winning in Washington D.C. and reaching the top 20.
- Elena Rybakina finished second with 16% despite winning the US Open, leading one disappointed observer to declare: “Laughable, Rybakina won the US Open.”
- Supporters of the Filipina defended the outcome, arguing rival fanbases failed to participate in the open WTA fan poll.
Fan vote triggers debate after WTA hard court swing award
Philippine tennis star Alex Eala has secured another WTA accolade thanks to her massive global following, but the result has ignited frustration among supporters of US Open champion Elena Rybakina. Eala, who claimed her maiden WTA title in Washington D.C. and broke into the world’s top 20 during the North American stretch, was voted the WTA ‘Star of the Hard Court Swing’ with an overwhelming 78% share of the fan ballot.
Rybakina, who lifted the Grand Slam trophy in New York and holds the world number 1 ranking, finished a distant second with 16% of the tally, while Iga Swiatek garnered just 3%. Introduced at the start of the 2026 season, the swing awards honor players for specific stretches of the tennis calendar, with previous recipients including Rybakina, Karolina Muchova, Aryna Sabalenka, Maja Chwalinska, and Eala herself during the grass court campaign.
Social media reaction and questions over voting criteria
Online observers quickly criticized the poll outcome, pointing out the contrast between Rybakina’s major triumph and Eala’s recent second-round exit against world number 180 Tatiana Prozorova in Singapore, an event held outside the North American swing. One spectator voiced disbelief, asking: “What is this ridiculous thing? Didn’t she just lose a second round match in Singapore?”
Other tennis enthusiasts felt the result overlooked on-court achievements at the sport’s highest level. “Laughable, Rybakina won the US Open,” one fan commented, while another underlined the Kazakh’s Grand Slam run: “Rybakina took a slam, she is the star.” Another observer was left stunned by the outcome, stating: “You’ve surely got to be kidding me…”
The discussion also turned to whether fan voting devalues such accolades, with one critic describing the procedure as “A popularity contest and nothing more. Pathetic.” Others voiced concern about the expectations placed on the young Filipina, with a commenter noting: “Sad for Alex.. This fan delusion will break her down mentally, the immense pressure she will carry will be too much to bear.. and they all don’t care either.” Another remarked: “Does Eala feel good seeing this? Tbh (To be honest) I’d feel intense imposter syndrome if I were in her place.”
Supporters defend high voter turnout
Despite the backlash, supporters argued the award was determined purely by fan engagement and that other player fanbases simply failed to participate. One supporter explained: “Obviously Rybakina was the real star but people didn’t vote. You can’t hate on the Filipino community for supporting their girl. Most of the people complaining in the comments didn’t even vote.” Another backer added: “Just want to remind the haters out there. It’s such a simple concept. Just vote. That’s it.”
Having captured awards for both the grass and North American hard court stretches, Eala will target a third consecutive honor during the upcoming Asian schedule. Before returning to tour action, she will represent the Philippines at the Asian Games.
You've had your say 🗣️
Alex Eala is your Star of the Hard Court Swing 👏@MercedesBenz pic.twitter.com/EUPTG5ZqJu
— wta (@WTA) September 25, 2026
Alexandra Eala in 2026
Ranked no.18 (career-high), the Filipino played her last match on the 24th of September when she lost to world no.180 Tatiana Prozorova 4-6 7-5 6-3 in the 2nd round in Singapore (draw).
Presently, during this year the Filipino owns an overall 40-22 match record. The Filipino clinched 2 titles in 2026 in the Birmingham and Washington.
