Eala works hard to advance in return to site of global fame rise
Alex Eala returned to the site where all of her global fame started last year and was treated to a rough welcome by Germany’s Laura Siegemund before prevailing, 6 (6)–7, 6–3, 6–3, in a three-hour classic early on Friday in Manila to progress to the round-of-32 of the Miami Open.
“Definitely had some nerves over there,” Eala said in the postmatch interview as the 20-year-old Filipino is now playing as one of the stars of the WTA 1000 event. “I just had to be patient. Patience was key out there and I was just waiting for the right moments.”
Eala continued to command the same big crowds that started to build up when she made the semifinals here last year and the win lined up Eala for a grudge rematch with Iga Swiatek, only for the Polish former world No. 1 to fall at the hands of countrywoman Magda Linette later in the day, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
“There’s a lot of talk, (and the) pressure of coming back is real,” Eala said. “It’s natural (for anyone) to have expectations because I did so well last year. But all the work has been done before this tournament.
“I am happy because I have been doing well. This isn’t the tournament where everything is on the line,” she said. “If I don’t get the points here, I’ll get them somewhere else.”
Early exit for lga
It would have been great to watch Eala try and replicate a 6-2, 7-5 quarterfinal victory over Swiatek last year in Miami, the site of her world breakthrough that had the Filipino starting her climb up to No. 29 in the rankings just before this year’s edition started.
Swiatek is a six-time Grand Slam champion who was left dumbfounded by Eala’s baseline play last year. Her exit in the second round here is the earliest for the Pole in four tournaments this year, as she went as far as the quarterfinals in the Australian Open, the Qatar Open and Indian Wells last week.
In Linette, Eala will be playing a familiar foe, whom she also beat very recently in Auckland, in the WTA 250 event, the ASB Classic, 6-3, 6-2, a victory that came after two defeats to the Polish world No. 50, who mastered the Filipino in the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open and the 2025 Nottingham Open.
Eala, like Swiatek, drew a first-round bye as a seeded player.
Eala has gotten star attention in the tournament, with her postmatch interview and press conference lasting like those accorded to major champions.
“It means the world to me, shows a lot how I developed as a player and as a person,” Eala said in a different interview posted on YouTube. “I came (here) as a wild card (last year), now I am in the third round and I am really, really happy. Happy to compete at this level against an amazing fighter.”
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