Preparation finally met opportunity for Alex Eala as the Filipina tennis ace is in the Round of 16 at the Miami Open, an unlikely run that has enamored the tennis world.
Make no mistake about it, Alex Eala’s run to the Round of 16 at the Miami Open is not about luck.
Despite her success seemingly unlikely or even shocking, there is no doubt for the 19-year-old Filipina that, just like any other player in the last 16, her position is the result of hard work — the same blood, sweat, and tears, that have brought hundreds of players to victory before her.
Having been a professional for five years now, Eala said that fate seemed to adhere to her wishes in Miami.
But it’s not because she got lucky. Rather, she had already worked hard enough to deserve her place among the biggest names in tennis.
Having beaten the likes of Katie Volynets, Jelena Ostapenko, and most recently Madison Keys en route to her historic appearance in the Round of 16, Eala said that it was the right time for her to finally get this kind of chance.
[READ: Alex Eala stuns world no. 5 and Australian Open champion Madison Keys in Miami Open]
And now that she’s here, she isn’t about to give it up.
“Well, there have been many times that I've had a good win for my career and then not so great the match after. So, I tried not to think about it too much… It's just another match. There have been many times where I would have been able to play a big player like Madison or Ostapenko. But I couldn't because I lost the round before,” Eala told the Tennis Channel.
“Now, looking back… I feel it's because I wasn't ready at the time. It's kind of God saying I wasn't ready. And now I have to believe that I am because I've been given this opportunity. I worked for the opportunity. And I have to take advantage of what I have.”
The 2025 season was hardly good to Eala before she headed to Miami, with a string of early exits in her previous WTA tournaments earlier this year.
In her first try at a Grand Slam main draw in Australia a few months back, she was booted out in the first match of qualifying. Keys later won the same Australian Open, her first Grand Slam title.
But now, the Rafa Nadal Academy scholar finds herself in the midst of an absolute Cinderella run. And while she’s happy to take in all the good things that are happening, she isn’t one to settle and be satisfied with what she’s done.
Rather, she’s raring to go and see just how far she can go.
[RELATED: Alex Eala hopes her dream Miami Open run pushes Philippine tennis ahead]
“It's just a massive deal for me personally. You know, it's a big jump. I've worked really hard these past couple of months, and I know that I have the level,” said Eala.
“So, to be able to perform is really fulfilling for me. But, of course, the work's not yet done, you know. Almost thinking about the next match already,” she added.
After stringing together three upsets in Miami, Eala has another one coming for her, as she is set for a collision course against world no. 11 Paula Badosa in the Round of 16.
With the whole world now watching, Eala hopes to convert on another emphatic stunner.
Game time is slated at 7 a.m., Manila time, on Tuesday, March 25.