Philippines’ young sensation
Alexandra Eala has opened up
about what it means to achieve incredible milestones at the
Miami Open. The 19-year-old has become a real surprise package at the ongoing WTA 1000 event as she booked her place in the quarterfinal after beating the 2025 Australian Open winner, America’s Madison Keys, in the round of 16 in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-2.
With that, she became the first player from the Philippines to defeat two Grand Slam winners. Before beating Keys, Eala defeated the 2017 French Open
winner Latvia’s Jeļena Ostapenko in the round of 64 in straight sets with a
score of 7-6, 7-5. The youngster was quoted in a report by Tennis.com, in which she talked about what victory means for her career. She also spoke
about her tennis journey, which involved training at the Rafa Nadal academy, and credited her family for giving her the desired support.
“I think every single player here has envisioned themselves
as a successful tennis player,” said Eala. “This is the goal, to do well on the
WTA Tour, to win Slams, to get the rankings. I think this is a good step
towards where I want to be. It came as a shock because I was young. I was 13
when we made that decision. My parents… sent my brother (Miko) along with me,
so I still had family close. It was definitely a big decision for me, for us.
But as soon as I heard that, I jumped at the opportunity because I knew that I
had to get out of the country eventually to improve. My family should take
credit for the foundation that they laid out before they sent me there. But of
course, the academy was able to build on that foundation in such a way that I'm
able to be where I am now. I think the combination of everything that I've been
through since I started tennis is what has led to this moment and what has led
to me having all these opportunities.”
Eala is now set to
face Spain’s Paula Badosa in the round of 16 of the competition. The 27-year-old
defeated Denmark’s Clara Tauson in the round of 32 in straight sets with a score
of 6-3, 7-6.