Suddenly on a giant-slayer path, Alex Eala knocks on Miami Open quarterfinals door
MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala has already overachieved and made history twice over this past week.
The 19-year-old overnight worldwide sensation rose as the first Filipino ever to beat a top 10 ranked player, and the first Filipina to defeat a former Grand Slam champion by downing 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys in succession.
Currently the toast of the Miami Open following three victories over highly touted opponents, Eala will be aiming for more as she enters the second week of a WTA 1000 event for the first time in her career.
The world No. 140 standout will be gunning for a spot in the quarterfinals when she faces 10th seed and world No. 11 Paula Badosa of Spain in the fourth round on Monday, March 24 (Tuesday, March 25, Manila time).
The Spaniard drew a bye in the first round and opened her Miami Open campaign with a second round win over 18-year-old wildcard entry Victoria Mboko of Canada, 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3). Badosa followed it up by downing 20th seed Clara Tauson of Denmark, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), in the Round of 32.
The 27-year-old Badosa was world No. 2 in 2022, emerging champion of the WTA Indian Wells the previous year. Various injuries, however, booted her out of the top 65 in the world in 2023.
The following year saw Badosa’s resurgence as she made herself relevant anew in the pro tour, rising to No. 12 in the world rankings, and in the process, getting named the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year. She cracked the world top 10 again in early 2025 when she made the semifinals of the Australian Open.
Badosa is known for her aggressive style of play anchored on her strong service game and powerful groundstrokes. She often dispenses with long rallies by going after winners at every shot, rarely allowing opponents any breathing space.
Another tall task to conquer
All these, however, play into Eala’s own strengths. The Filipina teen’s game is suited against power hitting baseliners, allowing her to respond with returns that land from corner to corner. Eala has also shown in the Miami Open a newfound patience to wait for the other side to falter by extending rallies and a newly displayed quickness to keep the ball in play.
Though undoubtedly an elite player, Badosa has nothing new in her arsenal that Eala has not seen yet from Ostapenko and Keys.
For the fourth straight round, Eala is facing an opponent who has been tabbed a clear favorite to win over her. But this time around, Eala is a live underdog with more than a puncher’s chance of scoring a knockout.
It does not help Badosa’s cause that she appears to be bothered once again by back problems, calling for a medical timeout during the second set of her win over Tauson and directing someone to carry off her rackets after the match.
Eala’s confidence has skyrocketed this past week at the hard courts of the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. One simply does not win three matches, all in straight sets, against elite opposition if one does not display enormous self-belief and possess the capability to play a big game.
A chance to earn a berth in the Final 8 is a big enough goal for Eala to want to prevail over Badosa. The opportunity to potentially face former world No. 1 and current No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland in the quarterfinals will be added motivation for the rising Filipina star to stay at her sharpest so she can seek triumph over her Spanish foe.
