Alex Eala has arrived, with the Filipina tennis ace scoring the win of a lifetime by taking down world no. 2 Iga Swiatek in the Miami Open quarterfinals.
Professional tennis can be quite the cruel sport. There are only four Grand Slams and only so much of the next-tier WTA 1000 tournaments.
Simply put, not everyone gets to win a singles title.
Alex Eala is among those on tour right now that’s yet to win a tournament, but the 19-year-old sensation can now at least lay claim to the biggest victory of her career.
In a Miami Open run already full of stunning upsets, the Filipina ace added a signature win by stopping world no. 2 Iga Swiatek, cutting the Polish superstar to size by way of a 6-2, 7-5 decision in the quarterfinals.
The victory over Iga now makes it three straight wins for Eala against former Grand Slam champions after also previously beating Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys.
But Swiatek is no ordinary champion, and Eala now gets the honor of joining the few that hold a winning record over the sure all-time great.
The seeds of the upset were quickly planted right in the first set, as Eala jumped to a 3-1 lead after Swiatek initially broke her service.
Eala then turned on the jets, racking up eight straight points to take a commanding 5-2 advantage.
The barrage continued in the second set, with Eala taking a 2-0 lead and putting the pressure on Swiatek.
However, Iga responded in kind, finally holding her service game for a 4-2 lead.
But in a test of resilience and mental fortitude, Eala managed to grind out the monumental victory by winning the last three games.