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Alexandra Eala has carved out a historic path not just for herself, but for Philippine and Southeast Asian tennis, as she finished an extraordinary run at the 2025 Miami Open.
Eala has reached uncharted territory for any Filipino tennis player. Currently ranked number 140 in the world, she is the youngest semifinalist at this year's Miami Open, competing among Grand Slam champions and Olympic medalists.
The 19-year-old wildcard bowed out to world number four Jessca Pegula at the seminals on Friday to finish her dream run at the tournament.
Though now catching the world's attention, Eala has been a source of pride for the Philippines for years, since she began representing the country on the international stage as a young teen.
"Growing up, it was tough," Eala shared in a recent interview, as quoted by Inquirer. "You didn't have anyone from where you're from to pave the way. Of course, you had many people to look up to around the world, but I hope this takes Filipino tennis to the next step."
Born into a family of athletes and professionals, Eala inherited both talent and support. Her mother was a top swimmer and a high-ranking executive at a major Philippine telecom company, while her brother played collegiate tennis at Pennsylvania State University. Yet, many with similar privilege do not choose to pursue professional tennis in a country where basketball dominates the sporting culture, The Athletic reported.
Eala made her international breakthrough in 2018, winning Les Petits As, the prestigious tournament for players aged 12 to 14. In 2019, she moved to Mallorca, Spain, to train at the Rafael Nadal Academy.
In 2022, she made history by winning the junior U.S. Open, becoming the first Philippine to win a junior Grand Slam title. That same year, she took home three bronze medals at the Southeast Asian Games. In 2023, she added another bronze at the Asian Games, losing to eventual Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen in the semifinals.
In 2024, she continued her rise, winning three doubles titles on the ITF circuit.
"I never saw myself doing anything else that wasn't tennis," Eala said. "I saw as I grew that I was getting better and better, and I saw that I always had the potential to make it."
A dream run in Miami Open
The Miami Open, owned by sports and entertainment giant IMG, granted Eala a wildcard entry into this year's main draw, a golden opportunity she seized with both hands.
After an early exit in her 2021 debut, Eala returned to Miami in 2025 more experienced and confident. She opened her campaign with a win over world number 73 Katie Volynets, securing her first WTA main draw victory.
She then stunned the tennis world with back-to-back victories over world number 25 and 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, followed by a dominating performance against world number five and reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys, winning 6-4, 6-2.
These were historic firsts, as no Philippine player had ever defeated a top-30 or top-five player since WTA rankings began in 1975.
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Alexandra Eala celebrates during a match at the 2025 Miami Open. Photo by WTA |
Eala advanced to the quarterfinals via walkover after Paula Badosa withdrew due to a back injury, setting up a marquee clash with world number two Iga Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion and the most dominant player in women's tennis over the past three years.
In the biggest win of her career so far, Eala stunned Swiatek with a 6-2, 7-5 victory. Just two years ago, Swiatek had attended Eala's graduation at the Nadal Academy, a surreal full-circle moment.
This marks Eala's third consecutive win over a Grand Slam champion at a WTA 1000 event, just one level below the Grand Slams.
After the win against Keys, Eala had said that her ultimate goal is to win a grand slam title as a pro.
Although falling short in the semifinal against Pegula, who bested Grand Slam champion Emma Raducanu in the quarterfinals, Eala's amazing run in Miami is proof that she can be on par with big names in women's tennis.
"It's a big thing to take in and I feel it's important for me to take it in step by step," she said at a post-match conference. "I'm super proud of what I'm able to accomplish and it definitely fuels me more."
