ALEX THE GREAT
Alex Eala made history by becoming the first Filipino woman to beat a top-10 opponent.
She can add another high-profile player to her list of victims.
The 19-year-old rising tennis star dumped world No. 5 Madison Keys out of the Miami Open on Sunday, winning their third-round match, 6-4, 6-2.
“Growing up it was tough,” an emotional Eala said during the on-court interview. “You didn’t have anyone from where you’re from to pave the way. Of course, you had many people to look up to around the world, but I think—I hope this takes Filipino tennis to the next step.”
Young Filipino tennis hopefuls certainly have someone to look up to now.
Eala had previously toppled 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko to set up the duel vs Keys. In bringing down Australian Open champion Keys, Eala also became the first Filipino to boot out Grand Slam winners in back-to-back fashion.
“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 in a report by Agence France-Presse.
Quarters in sight
Up next in the Rafael Nadal Academy standout’s Cinderella run is another familiar name: Spanish star Paula Badosa, the former world No. 2 and Australian Open semifinalist.
Eala will be gunning for a spot in the quarterfinals against Badosa, but she isn’t letting that huge task distract her from her achievement so far.
“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,” said Eala who turned emotional after the win and hugged every member of her team after the match.
Eala, who has trained at Nadal’s academy in Mallorca since she was 13, required a medical timeout for what appeared to be a leg injury but was a force from the baseline against Keys, who reached the Indian Wells semifinal last week.
“I am just in disbelief,” Eala told the Tennis Channel. “I knew I could win from the start, but the chances were low given that she is a great player, but I think my belief and the trust I had in myself is what pushed me through.”
“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,” she said.
Keys admitted she was far from her best form against a determined Eala, who dug in at the baseline and played superbly from there.
“My serve was not really there today and I just kind of felt a little flat—and when you are playing someone who makes a ton of balls back and absorbs really well, that’s not really the keys to success,” Keys said.
