Alexandra Eala is writing a fairytale at the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami. The 19-year-old Filipina is through to the semi-finals after beating world number two Iga Swiatek.
26.03.2025, 20:51
26.03.2025, 21:40
SDA
Alexandra Eala made Philippine tennis history on Sunday in Miami with her surprising two-set victory in the 3rd round against local Madison Keys, who won the Australian Open at the end of January. She was the first player from the island nation to beat an opponent in the top ten of the world rankings. Now came the even bigger surprise in the quarter-finals: with a 6:2, 7:5 victory, Eala also eliminated five-time Grand Slam tournament winner Iga Swiatek from Poland.
The rise of Alexandra Eala, who benefits from a wild card in Miami, did not come out of nowhere. In 2022, she won the junior tournament at the US Open and became the first Filipino tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles title. The Rafa Nadal Academy on Mallorca, where she has been training since 2018, has played a significant role in Eala's development.
Eala is currently ranked 140th in the world. Thanks to her successes in Miami so far, she will break into the top 100 for the first time next week in the region of 75th place. If she continues to win in Florida, rankings in the 50th position (qualifying for the final) or even 33rd (winning the tournament) are possible.
