Filipina tennis sensation Alexandra Eala delivered the biggest upset of her young career by defeating world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5, to advance to the semifinals of the Miami Open.
The 19-year-old from Quezon City played with remarkable poise and precision, breaking the five-time Grand Slam champion’s serve eight times in a performance that electrified fans and stunned the tennis world.
“I think I was so in the moment, and I made it a point to be in the moment every point that it’s hard to realize what just happened,” Eala said after the match.
“It’s hard to realize that you won the match,” she added.
Ranked No. 140 entering the tournament, Eala’s historic run includes wins over former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, world No. 5 and Australian Open titleholder Madison Keys, and now Swiatek.
She also benefited from a walkover in the round of 16 when Spain’s Paula Badosa, world No. 11, withdrew due to injury.
Eala credited her mental preparation and support team for her breakthrough performance.
“My coach told me to run, to go for every ball, take all the opportunities I can because a five-time Grand Slam champion is not gonna give you the win,” she told reporters.
Eala struck 10 winners in the opening set and weathered a Swiatek comeback in the second, regrouping to break in the final game and seal the match in front of a roaring Miami crowd.
“I’m loving the way I’m out there on court,” Eala told Tennis Channel. “I’m trusting my shots, and I have a good team telling me I can do it.”
In her player box were her parents, who flew in from the Philippines, along with relatives from Seattle and Toni Nadal, the uncle and former coach of Rafael Nadal, representing the Rafa Nadal Academy where Eala has trained since age 13.
“It means a lot that he showed up. It showed his confidence and the confidence of the Academy in me,” she said.
Eala also recalled meeting Swiatek at her academy graduation two years ago.
“It’s so surreal because I feel like I’m the exact same person that I was in that photo, but of course circumstances have changed,” she said. “I’m so happy and so blessed to be able to compete with such a player on this stage.”
Her semifinal opponent will be either 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu or world No. 4 Jessica Pegula.
Eala’s win is expected to catapult her WTA ranking from 140 to around No. 75, the highest ever for a Filipina player.
“Faith and belief and self-esteem—I feel that’s what’s gonna get you through tough times,” Eala said. “It will take everything in me. Next match won’t be less tough. It will be even more tough.”
In the other semifinal, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.
Sabalenka advanced with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Zheng Qinwen, while Paolini defeated Poland’s Magda Linette, 6-3, 6-2.
Eala is the first Filipina in history to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event, and her rise marks a watershed moment for Philippine tennis.