Alex Eala’s magical run in the Miami Open might be over but this stint will have a major impact in her career in the near future.

For one, the 19-year-old Rafael Nadal Academy graduate will take home a whopping $332,160 (P19 million) for making it all the way to the semifinal round.

Eala made a lot of noise during her stint in this Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 tournament as she defeated Grand Slam Champions Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, American Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek of Poland, who is currently the second-best tennis player in the world.

Had Eala defeated Pegula, she would have made $597,890 (P34.43 million) in prize money as she could have faced world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus for the championship where a whopping $1.1 million (P64 million) paycheck awaits to the champion.

Apart from the money, Eala is also slated to add 390 points in her WTA ranking as she is expected to break into the Top 100.

Currently ranked at No. 140, Eala is expected to reach as high as No. 75 when the WTA rankings get posted next week.

Being in the Top 100 will give Eala an automatic slot in major competitions, including the three remaining Grand Slams this year: the French Open, Wimbledon Championships, and US Open.

Interestingly, Eala was on the verge of making her main draw debut in these Grand Slams last year but fell short in the third qualifying round.

“I think every, every single player here has envisioned themselves as a successful tennis player. This is the goal: To do well on the WTA tour and to win Slams,” Eala said.

“The end goal is to win Slams and to get the rankings. I think this is a good step towards where I want to be.”

“It’s a big thing to take in, and I feel it’s important for me to take it step by step.” Ivan Suing