Teenage wild card Alexandra Eala delivered a stunning performance at the Miami Open, defeating No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 to advance to her first WTA semifinal. Eala recovered from a 4-2 deficit in the second set to secure the victory.
`I am in complete disbelief right now, I am on cloud nine,` said Eala in her on-court interview. She expressed shock and happiness at competing with such a high-level player. Eala mentioned her coach`s advice to fight for every point and seize every opportunity against a five-time Grand Slam champion.
Key stats of Eala`s upset:
Eala, 19, is the first player from the Philippines to reach a tour-level semifinal and will be the first Filipina to break into the Top 100 of the WTA rankings. She is the third wild card to reach the Miami semifinals, following Justine Henin in 2010 and Victoria Azarenka in 2018.
Ranked No. 140, Eala`s Miami run includes wins over Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys. She is only the second wild card to defeat three or more Grand Slam champions in a single event, after Elina Svitolina at Wimbledon 2023. Before Miami, Eala had never beaten a Top 40 player, but now has two Top 10 wins.
This is only Swiatek`s third loss to a player outside the Top 100 in a WTA main draw. Previously, she lost to Karolina Muchova in Prague 2019 and Ana Konjuh in Miami 2021.
Eala will next play against either No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula or Emma Raducanu for a spot in her first WTA final.
How Eala achieved the victory:
The match began intensely, with the first four games lasting over 25 minutes. Eala demonstrated she could compete with the major champion and maintain composure even after setbacks. Despite Swiatek briefly gaining momentum, Eala responded by winning eight straight points and five consecutive games.
Eala`s forehand was particularly effective, and she mixed up her play with backhands and drop shots. Her aggressive returns, often from inside the baseline, were crucial. Eala won more second-serve points (50%) than Swiatek won first-serve points (47%).
Swiatek admitted Eala `went all in` with deep returns, making it difficult to respond. Swiatek led 4-2 in the second set but couldn`t maintain her form. Eala capitalized on Swiatek`s unforced errors and secured the win with a strong return on match point.
Eala`s explanation for her win:
Eala emphasized `compartmentalization` as key to her performance. Despite limited WTA Tour experience, she relies on her professionalism and ability to focus point-by-point, a trait learned from her family. Her mother was an athlete and executive, and her uncle is a sports commissioner, instilling values of discipline and focus.
Eala was so focused on the moment that she struggled to realize her victory immediately, wanting to `soak it all in` and remember the historic achievement.
Rupert Caldwell