The dream keeps soaring for the Philippines’ tennis sensation, Alex Eala, whose electrifying performance at the Miami Open further cemented her lofty place in the history books of Philippine tennis.
With a series of stunning victories over three Grand Slam champions in just a few days, Eala climbed from No. 140 to No. 75 in the WTA Rankings—the highest rank ever attained by a Filipina netter.
She becomes only the third wild card to reach her first WTA semifinal and just the second to defeat three or more Grand Slam champions in a single tour-level event.
Meanwhile, Eala’s victory was hailed by the Palace as “another one of the very big achievements of a Filipino.”
“Malacañang, the Palace, and the President are proud of Filipinos like you who bring honor to the Philippines,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said.
In a statement, House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Thursday extended his heartfelt congratulations to Eala.
“Alex Eala’s journey in the Miami Open is nothing short of extraordinary. Defeating world-class players like Iga Świątek, Madison Keys, and Jeļena Ostapenko demonstrates her strong determination and skill on the court,” he said.
Before Miami, the 19-year-old had never beaten a Top 40 opponent or faced a Top 20 player.
Her biggest win came in the quarterfinals, where she stunned world No. 2, five-time Grand Slam champion, and reigning French Open queen, Iga Swiatek, with a 6-2, 7-5 triumph.
The win not only secured Eala a well-deserved place inside the WTA Top 100 but also guaranteed her a main draw spot in an upcoming Grand Slam event and a prize purse of $332,160 (approximately ₱19 million).
Eala’s path to the semifinals included earlier upsets over No. 25 and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, as well as No. 5 and reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys.
But she’s not done making history just yet.
Standing in the way of Eala’s fairy tale run is world No. 4 Jessica Pegula of the USA, whom she will face in the semifinals on Friday at 8 AM (Philippine time). Pegula clinched a semis spot after a hard-fought 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2 victory over Great Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the quarterfinals, just hours after Eala’s monumental win over Swiatek.
The semifinal showdown promises to be a thrilling battle between youth and experience—19-year-old Eala aiming for her first WTA 1000 final appearance and the 31-year-old veteran Pegula looking for her eighth WTA singles title.
“It’s definitely going to be very difficult. I know that for sure,” Eala said in a post-match interview after her historic win over Swiatek.
Eala needed just an hour and 39 minutes to dismantle the Polish star, breaking Swiatek’s serve in eight of her 10 service games—one of the biggest upsets in recent WTA history. As she prepares to face Pegula, Eala is determined to give everything she has to reach the final.
“Whoever it is, they’re going to bring their A-game, and it’s going to take everything in me to win. But I’m willing to give everything,” she added.
Swiatek acknowledged her loss mainly due to Eala’s aggressive style of play.
“I didn’t know she was going to play so flat, but she was very aggressive and stayed on target the whole match. A lot of these shots were coming out of nowhere,” Swiatek admitted.
Eala’s mentor at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, Toni Nadal, was present at courtside, watching proudly alongside her parents and relatives. Their support fueled Eala’s relentless energy as Swiatek struggled to keep up with the blistering pace set by the young Filipina.
“But I could still clearly see that she was trying to push forward and pressure me. So it worked out pretty well for her,” Swiatek added.