Eala: No room for complacency

There will be no room for complacency when Alex Eala battles world No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland in the Round of 64 of the Madrid Open on Friday.

The 19-year-old Eala asserted that she will march to their mouthwatering rematch with fire in her eyes despite shocking the five-time Grand Slam champion in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open last month.

Ranked No. 72 in the Women’s Tennis Association, Eala is coming off a 6-3, 6-2 victory over world No. 64 Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria in the Round of 128 last Tuesday.

Swiatek, on the other hand, drew a bye, putting them on a collision course that will rekindle one of the most shocking upsets in professional tennis.

Still, Eala said she will not be confident.

“I definitely think that each match is a different story,” said Eala, who has utmost respect and deep admiration for her idol, Swiatek.

“Even if it’s against the same player every time — doesn’t matter if I play her at the same time next year in Miami or in Madrid next year, it’s going to be a different story than the last one.”

Then ranked No. 140, Eala pulled off a surprise when she beat a string of superstars like Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys on her way to the semifinals of the Miami Open.

Although she bowed to world No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the Last Four, Eala still put professional tennis on notice with her superb form and brilliant game plan.

Now, Eala is expected to show up better and stronger against Swiatek, who even graced her graduation at the world-famous Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain in 2023.

“Now that the dust has settled, I try not to think about Miami so much,” said Eala, who is bracing for her debut in the main draw of the French Open in May.

“Personally, of course it comes to mind when everyone’s asking — but in my mind, I have my whole life to look back at those moments and I’ll always have those memories.”

“But the tour goes on, competition goes on, so right now I’m fully focused on Madrid.”

Eala said regardless of what happens, being on the same court with Swiatek is already an honor.

“Iga is spectacular. She pushes you to the limit,” Eala said.

“I love her intensity and her footwork, it’s something I want to look at more to see how I can learn. Her serve is really good too.”