Alex Eala doesn’t want her incredible victory over world No. 5 and Australian Open champion Madison Keys to be the highlight of her storied run in the Miami Open. Rather, she wants it to be the start.
The 19-year-old Filipina declared her readiness to go all out and win it all when she competes in the Round of 16 of the women’s singles event of the prestigious 1000 tournament at the Hard Rock Stadium in Florida.
After knocking down Keys via a masterful 6-4, 6-2 decision in the Round of 32 early Monday, Eala will be facing world No. 11 Paula Badosa of Spain for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Eala and Badosa are playing at press time.
Badosa is no ordinary foe.
The 27-year-old netter is having the finest performance of her tennis career since emerging as No. 2 in the world in 2022. She reached the semifinals of the Australian Open last January before falling prey to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Keys, however, beat Sabalenka in the final.
In the ongoing Miami Open, Badosa pulled off a convincing 6-3, 7-6 decision over No. 12 Clara Tauson of Denmark. But she suffered sharp pain on her lower back, the same area that forced her to retire in the second round of the Wimbledon Championship in 2023.
The injury forced her to be out of action for six months.
“I was not only in a lot of pain, but I was a little bit surprised that it was happening again,” Badosa said.
Eala stressed that she will employ the same game plan against Badosa.
“My game plan was to stick with what I know and to run,’’ Eala said in an article in the Miami Open website.
“I knew that she was a great player and a big hitter. I had to keep my legs on and take the opportunities I could find.”
Should Eala extend her Cindrella run with a victory over Badosa, she will face the winner between world No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland and world No. 22 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine for a chance to land in the semis.
From there, anything can happen.
Eala admitted that making it all the way to the title is not easy, but she is determined to do everything, especially after claiming the scalp of Keys that made her the first Filipino tennis player to beat a top 10 opponent since the Women’s Tennis Association ranking system was introduced in 1975.
“It’s a big thing to take in, and I feel it’s important for me to take it in step by step. I’m so super proud of what I was able to accomplish, but it definitely fuels me more,” Eala said.
match, but I need to stop, and I need to recognize that what I did today was really amazing. I think my reaction on court, you know, sums up pretty much how I feel about it.”
Eala said her experience gained through long hours of training at the world-famous Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain helps her navigate the path to a prestigious title.
“The Academy has been my home for the past seven years. Of course, my family should take credit for the foundation that they laid out before they sent me there,” said Eala, whose mother Riza is a former national swimmer who won a bronze medal in the 1985 Southeast Asian Games while father, Mike, is the brother of former Philippine Sports Commission chairman Noli Eala.
“But of course, the Academy was able to build on that foundation in such a way that I’m able to be where I am now. And I think the combination of everything that I’ve been through since I started tennis is what has led to this moment and what has led to me having all these opportunities.”
Eala says it was a tough decision for her family to send her away to Europe at such a young age, although the fact that her brother Miko also signed up for the Academy made it easier for her parents.
But as close as Eala evidently is to her family, she said she knew it was the right move.
“It was definitely a big decision for me, for us. As soon as I heard that, I jumped at the opportunity because I knew that I had to get out of the country eventually to improve,” she added.
Eala gained her passion for the game through playing with her grandfather who was a keen club player and coached her brother and cousins before turning his attention to the youngster.
“I was kind of the next in line to do that and to spend time with him. It eventually blossomed into the career I have now,” she said.
But while she hopes that her victory will provide hope and motivation for other young players from her homeland, there is an understandable reluctance at such a young age to become an instant role model.
“The young kids, the youth in the Philippines, they don’t need to take inspiration from me. They can take inspiration from anyone they want. You know, they can take inspiration from other things, which is what I did growing up,” she said.