Rafael Nadal has been closely following Alexandra Eala`s performance at the Miami Open, where the graduate of his tennis academy achieved a significant breakthrough at the WTA 1000 level.
Eala, 19 years old, has had a historic week at Hard Rock Stadium, securing two victories that mark a major milestone for tennis in the Philippines. Receiving a wild card entry to the main draw, the world No. 140 player defeated American Katie Volynets in the first round. She then went on to win against No. 25 seed Jelena Ostapenko with scores of 7-6(2), 7-5.
Her victory over Ostapenko is a landmark achievement, making Eala the first female player representing the Philippines to overcome a Top 30 player since the WTA rankings were introduced in 1975. She stands alone as the only player, male or female, from the Philippines currently holding a world ranking in professional tennis.
As Eala progressed through the initial week of the tournament, Nadal, whom she considers her idol and who retired from tennis last year, has been supporting her from a distance.
Following her victory against Ostapenko, Nadal celebrated Eala`s achievement by posting a congratulatory message on X, previously known as Twitter.
`Congratulations Alex! What a great win for you and for [the Philippines],` Nadal wrote.
Eala, who like Nadal is a left-handed player and uses Babolat racquets, has mentioned that her move to Mallorca at the age of 13 to train at Nadal`s academy was a transformative experience. When she made history again by winning the junior US Open three years prior, Eala`s popularity in the Philippines (a nation of almost 115 million people) surged. She has amassed over 126,000 followers on Instagram and graced the covers of magazines like Tater and Vogue in her region.
Despite her increasing fame, Eala emphasizes that the lessons learned from Nadal have been crucial in helping her maintain focus on improving her tennis skills.
`He is incredibly down-to-earth, especially considering his monumental achievements, which surpass anything I could ever dream of,` she stated in an interview with the Philippine broadcast network GMA. `The fact that he remains so kind to everyone is truly admirable.`
Eala`s next challenge is against Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the third round on Sunday.
