MIAMI — In a surprising turn of events at the Miami Open, young Alexandra Eala from the Philippines outperformed Madison Keys in their third-round match on Sunday. Despite Keys`s significant experience and higher ranking, Eala, a wild card entrant, demonstrated remarkable skill and composure.
While Madison Keys entered the match with a strong record and a significant lead in WTA 1000 match wins, Eala quickly established her presence. She secured an early lead, winning a majority of the initial points and games, and ultimately taking the first set, signaling that this would be no ordinary match.
Keys, a recent Australian Open champion aiming for her 20th tour victory, faced persistent resistance from Eala. The young player from the Philippines remained steadfast at the baseline, engaging in extended rallies and capitalizing on Keys`s errors.
Eala`s victory on the Grandstand court concluded with scores of 6-4, 6-2, propelling her into the Round of 16 at the Miami Open. Overwhelmed with emotion, she celebrated her achievement with jumps of joy and heartfelt embraces with her team.
This victory is not entirely unexpected for those familiar with Eala`s trajectory in tennis. She has been competing on the international stage for about five years and has a history of success.
Notably, Eala won the US Open junior girls` title in 2022, even defeating Mirra Andreeva, who is now a top-ranked player. She also has junior Grand Slam doubles titles and reached the semifinals of the French Open juniors at a young age.
Alexandra Eala is making history as the first Filipino player in the Open Era to achieve a Top 10 win since 1975. She is also the first player outside the Top 100 this season to reach the Round of 16 in a WTA 1000 event.
Her three main-draw wins at the Miami Open exceed the total wins of all Filipino players in this tournament throughout the Open Era.
Adding to the significance, Eala is the fourth wild card entrant to defeat a Top 5 player at the Miami Open since a certain point in time.
Despite requiring medical attention during the match, Eala maintained her intensity and pressure. A crucial moment was Keys`s double fault, which gave Eala a break-point opportunity and ultimately contributed to Eala`s victory.
The match statistics highlighted Keys`s 51 unforced errors compared to her 22 winners, while Eala played more consistently with 13 winners and 21 unforced errors. Eala also successfully broke Keys`s serve six times.
Keys, who had a strong winning record this year prior to reaching the Indian Wells semifinals, has now experienced two losses in her last three matches, including this defeat and a previous loss to Aryna Sabalenka.
Keys acknowledged Eala`s strong play and her own shortcomings in the match, particularly with her serve and overall energy level, which hindered her against Eala`s consistent return game.
Looking ahead, Eala is set to compete against Paula Badosa in the Round of 16 for a chance to advance to the quarterfinals. Badosa, who won her previous match despite a back injury, could present a challenge for Eala.
Eala`s journey in tennis includes participation in WTA Future Stars events and her WTA Tour debut at the 2021 Miami Open. She has been training at Rafael Nadal’s Academy since age 13. Coleman Wong, another player from the academy, is also having success in the men’s draw.
