ALEXANDRA Eala has emerged as the early favorite in a WTA fan poll recognizing the standout performers during the North American hard-court swing.
The WTA opened voting on Monday for its “Star of the Swing” poll, featuring several players who produced notable results during the stretch leading into and including the US Open.
Eala was nominated following her breakthrough WTA 500 title at the Washington Open, where she defeated Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula en route to the championship.
She was up against a field that included US Open champion Elena Rybakina, runner-up Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Iva Jovic and Diane Parry.
Rybakina, who won the US Open and subsequently became world No. 1, was among the leading candidates based on tournament results.
However, Eala had built a substantial lead in the fan-driven poll. With more than 3,700 votes counted at the time of the report, she had received 74% of the votes, followed by Rybakina at 19% and Swiatek at 4%.
Katerina Siniakova, Taylor Townsend, Gauff and Sabalenka each had around 1%.
The voting results prompted mixed reactions on social media, with some users questioning whether Eala’s lead reflected her achievements during the swing.
Others defended the result, noting that the WTA presented the exercise as a fan poll and that supporters were simply voting for their preferred player.
Eala’s strong showing in the poll comes as she prepares for her Singapore Open campaign, where she entered the WTA 500 tournament as the No. 3 seed. (Adrian Co)
