Extra challenge: Eala faces daunting task in Miami Open

One year after her surprise run in the Miami Open, Alex Eala will be returning to the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida with renewed focus as she aims to equal or surpass her stunning performance the last time.

Last year saw Eala, then ranked No. 140 entering the tournament, take down Grand Slam champions Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, Madison Keys of the United States and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland.

Set to be one of the top 30 players in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) in the coming days, the 20-year-old Eala will have to defend the 390 points she earned last year in the Miami Open or risk a significant dip in her rankings.

Thanks to her current No. 32 rank, Eala will have the benefit of skipping the Round of 128 and will enter the match fresh and well-rested.

However, if she does lose in the Last 64, she will only earn 10 points per the WTA rulebook, and would fall back as low as No. 50.

The Rafael Nadal Academy alumna is coming off a rousing debut in the BNP Paribas Open where she made it as far as the Last 16 before losing to Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, 2-6, 0-6.

While a rankings dip could be a setback for Eala, she would still have a high chance of making it into the main draw of the biggest WTA 1000 tournaments of the year.

In fact, Eala is already seeded in the Linz Open in Austria in April as the 32nd seed, giving her a perfect venue to bounce back should she bow out early in the Miami Open.

Eala is still worthy of entering the remaining Grand Slam tournaments, starting with the French Open in May as long as she stays in the top 100.

Regardless of what happens at the Hard Rock Stadium, Eala said she has gained a lot of confidence in the past year that she is ready for whatever happens in her career.

“I’ve grown a lot, and I’ve had so many good matches, so many tough losses, so much experience since then. And that’s helped me build confidence, self-esteem, and I know that I belong here,” Eala said.

“It doesn’t matter if I win the tournament in Miami or if I lose in the first round, I know I’m here, and I’m here to stay.”