Alexandra Eala, a rising star in tennis, has made it to the quarterfinals of the Miami Open. This marks a significant milestone in her career.
The young player from the Philippines advanced to this stage of the Hologic WTA Tour event after her fourth-round opponent, Paula Badosa, the No. 10 seed, had to withdraw. Badosa cited a lower back injury as the reason for her withdrawal from their scheduled match on Monday.
Eala, a wild card entrant, and Badosa were set to compete after both players had achieved impressive victories in the third round on Sunday. Eala, ranked No. 140 globally, defeated No. 5 seed Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion. This victory was a historic achievement for a player from the Philippines in the Open Era.
Badosa`s third-round match saw her overcome Clara Tauson, the No. 20 seed and Dubai finalist who is currently in excellent form. Badosa won 6-3, 7-6(3), despite requiring a medical timeout during the match.
At 19 years old, Eala, who won the junior US Open in 2022, had not previously won three consecutive matches at the tour level. While the walkover victory does not officially count towards her win-loss record, it propels her further in the tournament.
In her sixth appearance at a WTA 1000 event, Eala is now preparing to face the winner of the match between No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek, a former champion, and No. 23 seed Elina Svitolina. The winner of that quarterfinal match will advance to the semifinals.
Rupert Caldwell