After her opponent withdrew from the Round of 16, Alex Eala punched a quarterfinal ticket to the 2025 Miami Open, continuing a dream run for the Filipina ace.
According to the World Tennis Association (WTA), World No. 11 Paula Badosa withdrew from the match owing to an injury, advancing the Filipino tennis sensation to the Top 8.
Historic wins
Eala entered the competition as a wildcard and is currently coming off two significant victories in which she defeated two Grand Slam champions.
Eala took down World No. 25 Jelena Ostapenko in the Round of 64 before pulling the upset over World No. 5 American Madison Keys in the Round of 32.
“I’m so glad. I’m thinking of my parents. They’re watching now. Mom, Dad, nakuha ko (I got it). My God!” she said after her win against Keys.
“I know and it’s in my mind that I have a next 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 added.
Eala slaying the world’s best
Eala is the first Filipina player in history to defeat a player ranked in the Top 25 and Top 5 of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings in addition to crushing two Grand Slam champions.
Now, Eala is expected to face a more difficult opponent as she prepares to compete against either Elina Svitolina of Ukraine or Olympic bronze medalist Iga Swiatek of Poland.
