The world erupted in celebration after seeing Alex Eala pull off a shocking upset of world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open early Thursday (Manila time) at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Spanish great Rafael Nadal, who has been training Eala since she was 13 at his Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, was beaming with pride after watching Eala edge the seemingly-unbeatable five-time Grand Slam champion in dramatic fashion.

“We are extremely proud of you, Alex. What an incredible tournament! Let’s keep dreaming,” said Nadal, whose uncle, Toni, was in Eala’s box to guide her throughout the nearly 100-minute encounter that serves as the biggest victory in Philippine tennis.

The euphoria brought by Eala’s stunning victory also spilled over in the Philippines, bringing tears to the eyes of Filipino sports fans.

Malacañang Palace, through Press Officer Claire Castro, congratulated the 19-year-old Eala for stamping her class against one of the best tennis players in the world.

“This is one of the greatest achievements of a Filipino. Malacañang Palace and the President are proud of Filipinos who bring honor to the Philippines,” Castro said.

“So, congratulations to our kababayan, and this is not the end of our gratitude for our countrymen who bring honor to the Philippines.”

‘We’re proud of her but she is not done yet. She is still playing in the semis.’

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol Tolentino told DAILY TRIBUNE that he believes Eala can still go further in her campaign with only two more wins before formally securing the title of this prestigious WTA 1000 event.

Tolentino has been a firm believer of Eala’s tennis prowess. In fact, he was at the sidelines when Eala clinched three bronze medals in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam in 2022 before adding two more bronze medals in the 19th Asian Games in China a year later.

“We’re proud of her but she is not done yet. She is still playing in the semis,” Tolentino said in a phone conversation.

“She is already at No. 75 in the live rankings and she could make history as the first Filipino to make it to the final.”

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo was also ecstatic as Eala continues to be an inspiration for young athletes in the country.

Eala was recently given the Flame Award at the PSC Women in Sports Awards last 15 March along with Agatha Wong of Wushu and Rosalinda Ogsimer of Ultramarathon.

“We’re all really glad about her performance. She really pushed herself to get past the quarterfinal,” Coo, also a distinguished athlete herself, said.

“She inspires everyone, especially the youth. She also helps out with the grassroots program and that is what I admire about her. It’s not just about her but about inspiring others to become tennis players.”