Two young wild card entrants, Alexandra Eala and Victoria Mboko, made a significant impact against seeded players in the second round of the Miami Open. 19-year-old Eala achieved a major career victory by defeating No. 25 seed Jelena Ostapenko in a close match 7-6(2), 7-5. 18-year-old Mboko also nearly secured a win but was narrowly defeated 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(3) by No. 10 seed Paula Badosa.
Eala’s prominence in tennis began at a young age, making it surprising she is still a teenager. Representing the Philippines, a country with limited professional tennis history, she gained recognition by winning the Les Petits As tournament in 2018. In 2021, she became the first Filipina to win a WTA main draw match in Cluj-Napoca. Her achievements continued in 2022 when she won the US Open junior title and appeared on the cover of Vogue Philippines.
Eala’s consistent progress has elevated her to No. 140 in the WTA rankings. Her victory over Ostapenko marks two milestones: her first win against a Top 30 player and her first time winning consecutive matches at the tour level. Eala demonstrated resilience in navigating two unpredictable sets.
While Ostapenko is known for fluctuating match scores, it was Eala who maintained better control of the match’s momentum on Friday. Despite being initially outplayed and falling behind 4-0, Eala recovered to take the first set. In the second set, showcasing her strong return game as Ostapenko’s accuracy faltered, Eala surged to a 4-0 lead.
However, Ostapenko mounted a comeback, winning five games in a row and reaching set point at 5-4. Eala defended against it and then secured victory by winning the next three games.
Badosa overcomes young Mboko in Miami thriller
Mboko entered her match against Badosa with an impressive 28-1 record in 2025. The Canadian player, formerly a top junior, has won five ITF titles, improving her ranking from No. 333 to No. 162 in under three months. She also achieved her first tour-level victory against Camila Osorio in the first round. Facing Badosa was a significant challenge, marking her first encounter with a Top 50 opponent.
The match was a closely contested battle lasting 2 hours and 19 minutes, particularly in the third set where Mboko rallied from 5-2 down to 5-5. Mboko displayed impressive backhands and volleys throughout the match and showed great determination in the final set. Badosa, known for her own fighting spirit, had to perform at her best, including hitting excellent backhand passing shots, to win the decisive tiebreak.
