1 week Ago
Alex Eala (PHL)(R) shakes hands with Iga Swiatek (POL)(L) at the net after their match on day nine of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Geoff Burke-Imagn Images MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala was unfazed against Grand Slam champions and the world’s best tennis players during her inspiring semifinal campaign at the Miami Open. Behind her extraordinary run in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 tournament was nothing out of the usual as far as Eala is concerned.
“Being able to face these opponents is to treat them like they’re any other opponent is to strip them of all their decorations and all their achievements. And I did it like every other match,” said Eala in a virtual press conference on Tuesday. “There’s nothing that I did, in particular, that was out of my routine.
It was a little bit higher spirit for it, like all my other tournaments and all my other matches. So I have a routine, and I stick to that.” Staying true to herself made the 19-year-old Filipino turn heads in the Miami Open as the wild card took down three grand slam champions in Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek.
Her biggest win was against World No.2 Swiatek to reach the semifinal, and she was overwhelmed after the win. “It was funny because I was talking to my parents the other day, and I keep seeing the videos and the reels of my reaction when I won against Iga.
I tried to look back at that moment specifically, and I can’t remember anything. Maybe until I walked to the net. I can’t remember looking up from the ball.
It’s all very blurry. And I think that is a reflection of how just overwhelming and how shocking that moment was for me,” said Eala. “I did show there were a lot of emotions.
But I worked so hard and prepared so hard to block them out during the match that I think it took a while for them to come back after I found out that I won. But now I think the emotions are just scattered everywhere, and it definitely hasn’t left yet.” Eala made history as only the second wildcard to notch three consecutive wins over Grand Slam champions in a single WTA event.
She also became the first Filipino to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament and the first to defeat both a top-2 and top-5 player since the WTA rankings were introduced in 1975. Eala’s dream run ended with a 6(3)-7, 7-5, 3-6 loss to home bet Jessica Pegula. But she was celebrating at the end despite falling short to the championship round.
The Rafa Nadal Academy product recalled that she was just grateful to reach the semifinals and put up a good fight against current World No.3 Pegula. “It’s not typical for me either to be that upbeat after a loss.
But I was just at a point where I was so thankful. I lost, but I put up a good fight. I sat down because I was tired.
And you look into the crowd, and there were countless numbers of Filipino flags [even] we’re playing in Miami and playing against an American. But the stadium was full of Filipinos. I just felt so, so supported and so loved,” Eala said.
“And like it just at that moment, you can’t help but feel happy because it was such a big achievement. And they know that it was such a big achievement. They were there to support me, and I had someone to share the achievement with.
” Seeing the enormous support from her home country as well as praises from tennis greats make Eala more inspired to work harder as she makes her Grand Slam main draw debut in the French Open in May. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy .
“I definitely think I have the potential for a Grand Slam. And it’s super flattering to hear all those greats talking about me when I’ve been looking up to them for so long. It means a lot that they recognize my talent, but I cannot dwell on just that because, in the end, it’s one tournament,” Eala said.
“And I know that in order to be great, you need tournament after tournament after tournament after tournament like this. So, that’s, again, that’s what I’m trying to work on. That’s the goal.
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