Alexandra Eala’s star rises in Miami: “This is a good step towards where I want to be”

MIAMI, FL — Alexandra Eala had barely any time to process her history-making run at the Miami Open presented by Itau, but on Sunday afternoon she already had one thing clear: There’s still one more match to prepare for.

The big-hitting teenager from the Philippines pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the fortnight as she took down Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion, in straight sets. And it wasn’t just the victory, but the way Eala clinched it that turned heads: It was a thrashing as she dismantled Keys’ serve, breaking six times on her way to a 6-4, 6-2 victory at the No. 5 seed’s home event.

Overwhelmed with infectious joy after the monumental win, Eala leaped and ran to celebrate with her team and, during the on-court interview, she sent a tearful shoutout to parents Mike and Rizza, who stayed up until the early morning hours back home to witness the moment: “Mom, dad, I did it… My god!”

Read More: Alexandra Eala scores the Philippines' biggest WTA win against Jelena Ostapenko in Miami

By the time that she’d arrived to the whirlwind of post-match obligations—treatment, recovery, media, press and more—the Quezon City native already seemed eager for the next challenge.

“I think every single player here has envisioned themselves as a successful tennis player,” Eala reflected. “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.”

Relishing each ‘step’ in the journey, rather than making each milestone a destination: That’s been part of the winning mentality that propelled the Filipina out of a country without a solid tennis tradition and turned her into a serious threat to the WTA’s upper echelons at just 19.

Eala took up tennis at the age of four as a way to bond with her grandfather—a dedicated club player who became a coach to several Eala cousins—as well as her older brother, Miko, who later played tennis for Pennsylvania State University. As her career “blossomed” it soon became clear she had to leave the Philippines and begin training abroad to continue progressing—a daunting prospect for Eala, then a preteen preparing to travel halfway around the world.

That’s when the Rafa Nadal Academy came knocking.

“It came as a shock because I was young. I was 13 when we made that decision,” Eala recalled. “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.”

Read More: Rafael Nadal congratulates academy students Eala, Wong on big Miami wins

I want the kids at home to see more my attitude and the grit I have on court, more than the results that I get.

Eala thrived in the world-class facilities at the Manacor, Mallorca-based academy founded by the 22-time Grand Slam winner, as she measured her game against top players and current WTA pros, and benefited from invaluable time on the practice court with Nadal himself—a fellow lefty.

Read More: Rafael Nadal set for $94-million profit after selling part of his stake in tennis academy

She spent seven years at the academy until her 2023 graduation—which was attended by both Nadal and then WTA world No. 1 Iga Swiatek—when she began competing full-time. Eala continues to train in Mallorca, her primary base during the busy tennis season.

“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,” the Filipino player said.

“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’s first win in Miami against Katie Volynets marked a personal milestone, as only her second-ever WTA 1000 level win. Her second made national history, as she defeated Jelena Ostapenko, a former Roland Garros champion, to claim the first Top 30 victory by a player representing the Philippines.

Her third-round shocker against Keys could be set to unleash the floodgates of tennis interest back home, especially as Eala could be in the perfect position to capitalize on her chances in the next round. Eala will face snake-bitten No. 10 seed Paula Badosa, who struggled with a resurgence of stubborn low back injury in her 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over Clara Tauson, for a spot in the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 event.

Their match is scheduled for Monday evening in Miami, early Tuesday morning in Manila—just in time for folks back home to tune in over breakfast. Tennis fans have seen the way massive breakthroughs by Li Na and Zheng Qinwen galvanized tennis in China, and even more recently how generational performances by Brazil’s Joao Fonseca have turned a soccer-mad population into a crowd of cheering, singing tennis fans. Could Eala do the same for the Philippines?

While the 19-year-old is well aware of her growing influence back home, the task of inspiring a nation of over 110 million people to sporting glory isn’t the type of pressure that she’s putting on herself quite yet. Instead, the teenager hopes it will be the natural result of her work ethic and “grit” on the court—just like everything else she’s had to work for in her career.

“There have been so many role models in my life. Inspiration doesn't always have to come from someone big who did it in the Philippines,” Eala said. “For example, young kids in the Philippines, they don't need to take inspiration from me. They can take inspiration from anyone they want. And they can take inspiration from other things, which is what I did growing up…

“I want the kids at home to see more my attitude and the grit I have on court, more than the results that I get.”

Currently ranked No. 140 in the world, Eala is projected to rise inside the Top 120 as a result of her Miami progress and would be knocking on the door of the Top 100 should she get past Badosa. She will face the tenth-seeded Spaniard in the last match on Grandstand on Monday.