Teenager becomes first Filipina to beat a Top 10 player in the Open Era
By Charmaine Rodriguez
Filipino wild card Alexandra Eala ousted Australian Open champion Madison Keys from the Miami Open in the third round Sunday, scoring 6-4, 6-2, after also winning against 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko on Friday.
“I can’t wait to call my mom and dad. Nakuha natin, dad, mom,” Eala said in a mix of English and Tagalog during on-court interview, drawing cheers from the crowd.
“Growing up it was tough. You didn’t have anyone from where you’re from to pave the way. Of course you had many people to look up to around the world, but I think — I hope this takes Filipino tennis to the next step,” Eala added.
Defeating the American No. 5 seed was called an extended dream run in Miami for Eala since this meant she had beaten two Grand Slam champions.
“I am just in disbelief,” Eala told the Tennis Channel. “I knew I could win from the start, but the chances were low given that she is a great player, but I think my belief and the trust I had in myself is what pushed me through.”
But this journey took a lot of hard work.
Eala has trained at Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca since she was 13.
Rafael Nadal posts a congratulatory message for Filipino tennis player Alexandra Eala on his X account.
“It just brought a whole different level to my game. I don’t know where I would be without going there. It was such a huge turning point in my life, and I’m just super grateful because I was a scholar there for four years—just like an actual school but for tennis,” Eala added.
Her win also marked some major tennis history for the country, as Eala became the first player representing the Philippines to defeat a Top 30 player since at least 1975—the year Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings were first published.
What makes the victory even more meaningful is that Eala isn’t just the highest-ranked Filipina on the WTA Tour: She’s the only Filipino player on the professional tennis tour, outright, with no man or woman representing the country featuring inside the Top 1000 rankings, according to the WTA website.
“Competing on tour and representing the Philippines means everything to me,” she shared as a part of the WTA’s new Rally The World campaign. “Being a professional tennis player, and the only Filipina on tour, where I come from is such a big part of my identity,” she said in a report by Tennis.com.
Alex Eala breaks into tears after winning against World No. 5 Madison Keys.
Eala made a name for herself as a talented junior, winning the 2020 Australian Open girls’ title (with Priska Madelyn) and the 2021 French Open girls title (with Oksana Selekhmeteva) in doubles. She marked another historic, major milestone when she lifted the 2022 US Open junior singles title—making her the first Filipino player to win a singles championship, the report added.
Currently coached by Daniel Gomez, the Quezon City native is currently sitting at No. 140 in the world and has been the highest-ranked Filipina singles player in WTA Tour history since 2022 when she lapped Maricris Gentz, who peaked at No. 284 in 1999.