In the early hours of Friday morning, after nearly two weeks of remarkable performances, Alexandra Eala slumped in her chair inside the vast Hard Rock Stadium, her unforgettable run in Miami finally coming to an end. Before she could even process her mixed emotions of pride and disappointment, she was met with a wave of support from the audience.
The crowd, still packed with Filipino fans at 12:45 am, erupted in a standing ovation to celebrate Eala’s achievements. She responded with raised fists and a beaming smile, blowing kisses to all corners of the stadium.
During her time in Miami, Eala delivered one of the most spectacular and unexpected breakout performances in recent history. Entering the Miami Open as a 19-year-old wild card ranked No. 140, she had little in terms of expectations. Before this tournament, she had won only two matches on the WTA Tour, and her form in 2025 had been inconsistent.
Winning her first-round match against No. 73 Katie Volynets was already a success, but she didn’t stop there. Her victory over Jelena Ostapenko, a former French Open champion, turned heads, but it was her straight-sets win over Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion and world No. 5, that made the tennis world take notice. The momentum carried into an even greater upset when she toppled five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek to reach the semi-finals.
Just a week ago, no Filipina woman had ever defeated a Grand Slam champion. Eala did it three times in a row. She then proved her run was no fluke by pushing Jessica Pegula, the world No. 4, to the limit in an intense, bruising three-set battle.
Eala’s talent has long been recognized. A left-hander with a smart, counterpunching style, she won the US Open girls’ title in 2022. By 17, she had already been featured on a Vogue cover. Having trained for years at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, her victory over Swiatek held special significance just two years ago, Swiatek had been the keynote speaker at her graduation.
Before Eala’s rise, the highest-ranked Filipina female tennis player was Maricris Gentz, who reached No. 284 in 1999. Eala’s success has captivated the Philippines, with fans hosting watch parties and a YouTube live stream of her semi-final match drawing more than 170,000 viewers at 9 am on a Friday.
Leaving Miami, she steps into a new world. As a trailblazer in a country with a passionate fanbase, she is poised to attract significant endorsements and media attention. While her journey is only beginning, one breakthrough tournament does not guarantee sustained success. Managing expectations and building on this momentum will be her next big challenge.
With Eala’s Cinderella story coming to a close, the Miami Open final features a familiar matchup. For the third time in the past year, a major hard-court final will be contested between Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula. Sabalenka has already won their previous encounters in the US Open and Cincinnati Open finals, using her superior power to edge out Pegula in tight two-set battles.
Both players have experienced defining moments in recent weeks. After narrowly losing the Australian Open final to Madison Keys, Sabalenka rebounded impressively, reaching the Indian Wells final before falling to Mirra Andreeva. Now competing in her home city of Miami, the world No. 1 has been in dominant form, winning all her matches without dropping a set. Having set the bar high, only a title will satisfy her.
Pegula, on the other hand, has had a slower start to the season. After reaching her first Grand Slam final at the US Open, where she lost to Sabalenka, she struggled to string together wins at major tournaments this year. Though she has not faced a top-25 opponent en route to the final, her resilience in multiple three-set matches has been commendable. Against the world’s best, however, she will need to summon her highest level to claim the title.
