Alexandra Eala was in the headlines this time after defeating World No. 2 Iga Swiatek to go to the semifinals of the Miami Open, thus making history for Philippine tennis. The young wildcard toppled a struggling Swiatek, 6-2, 7-5 and will next play either fourth seed Jessica Pegula or Britain’s Emma Raducanu, with the winner competing in the final.
Ranked 140th in the world, Eala has made history in Miami as the first-ever player from the Philippines to reach a WTA 1000 semi-final. On her way to the final four, she has eliminated three Grand Slam champions. It includes Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion, Jelena Ostapenko, in 2017 French Open winner, and straight-setted five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek, proving her persevering will.
At the age of 19, Eala won the US Open Girls’ title in 2022 and went on to train at the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca after moving from the Philippines at 13. She is currently coached by Toni Nadal, Rafael’s uncle while playing in the same left-handed style as the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
Having played only two tournaments on the WTA Tour prior to the Miami Open and given a wildcard entry, Eala is poised to make her maiden top 100 appearance. By extension, it is a pertinent fact that the aforementioned Swiatek has not lost to a player outside the top 100 in four years.
“I don’t know what to say!” Eala said in her on-court interview. “I’m in total shock right now. I’m on cloud nine. Thank you to everyone who came and supported me, and thanks to everyone watching back home.”
The upset adds to the already difficult times being faced by former World No. 1 Swiatek, who has been given extra protection since she was verbally assaulted by a man at a practice session in Miami. In a statement, her team said that the man had also harassed her online.
