Philippine tennis sensation Alex Eala had the run of a lifetime in the 2025 Miami Open, beating three Grand Slam winners to reach the semifinals as a wildcard.
Alex Eala became the darling of the 2025 Miami Open as she went on an improbable run as wild card entrant, getting into the semifinals of the WTA 1000 tournament after beating three Grand Slam champions in a row.
Days after ending her Cinderella campaign against eventual runner-up Jessica Pegula in the semis, Eala gathered her thoughts on the history-making stint that captured the hearts of many tennis fans from the Philippines and across the globe.
[READ: Alex Eala ends Cinderella run at Miami Open against world no. 4 Jessica Pegula in semis]
“Wow, this year’s Miami Open has left me speechless and so full of emotion, mostly pride and gratitude” Eala wrote.
“I’m proud of myself for pushing through those tough moments, as well as to have been able to make a statement for the Philippines in one of the biggest stages of tennis. Moreover, I’m thankful for all the positivity coming my way, and I pray that you all continue sending support through the highs and lows.”
En route to the semis where she narrowly lost to Miami native and world no. 4 Pegula, the 19-year-old racked herself some outstanding wins against top players in the WTA Tour, including world no. 5 Madison Keys and world no. 2 Iga Swiatek.
Despite coming into the tournament as a wild card and being ranked world no. 140, Eala overcame leaps and bounds of her expectations.
Now, as she is slated to enter the top-75 in the rankings thanks to her run, which will be a career-high. Eala is likely to be given more opportunities to replicate her success in Miami, as she is expected to get invites to more WTA 1000 tournaments and more importantly, the Grand Slam main draws.
Entering just her fifth year in the pros, Eala now must wrestle with bigger challenges and expectations that come with the opportunity of competing at higher competitions.
Acknowledging this, Eala is eager to begin the next steps in her career.
“I recognize that these two weeks have opened the door to so many opportunities for me, but along with those opportunities come a whole new set of obstacles I will have to navigate through,” said the Rafa Nadal Academy product.
“The real work starts now.”