ONE CHAPTER ends and another begins as Alex Eala’s dream run continues, after her recent spectacular performance in the 2025 WTA1000 Miami Open.
Now, the 19-year-old Eala prepares for her debut in the Grand Slam main draw, the French Open, which begins in late May.
While the challenges may appear daunting at first, the World No. 73-ranked Filipina tennis player has already showcased that some odds are meant to be defied, which thrills her even more about embarking on another historic endeavor.
Student of the Game
Eala demonstrated her humility following her victory, which propelled her to the Miami Open semi-finals. For her, the French Open is the same thing: an opportunity to get more experience.
“I’m super excited. It’s a big achievement to start in the main draw. With that, bigger challenges, but there is so much to gain,” Eala said, during an online press conference held on Tuesday.
Eala bucked the odds to secure an outright spot in the main draw of Roland Garros, upsetting USA’s Katie Volynets in the Round of 128 and World No. 25 Jeļena Ostapenko in the Round of 64 at the Miami Open.
In addition to Ostapenko, a previous French Open champion, Eala defeated reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys and World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the subsequent stages.
She subsequently suffered a hard-fought loss in the semis against the USA’s own World No. 4-ranked Jessica Pegula, as Eala poured everything she had left in her tank to pull off a valiant stand by forcing a deciding set.
Still In Awe
The Filipina tennis superstar, like the rest of us, is still in wonder of how she defeated these players. For her, it was one of the proudest moments of her young and promising tennis career.
“It’s a bit hard to swallow kasi nga. Those are big wins, but I’m super proud of myself. Just to say that I have won over Top 5 players is very surreal,” she said of the elite list of players that she took down.
Even while the serendipity is gradually fading and reality is settling in, Eala’s already tremendous feat in Miami is only the beginning.
“That mentality will not just go on during that tournament, the work isn’t done. Now, there is a new standard for me, and one of the new obstacles is how I manage that. Time will tell, but all I can do for now is prepare,” she said.
“I take pride in how I handle myself on the court and control my emotions even when I was losing. The next step is to repeat this, and for my body to handle this kind of intensity repetitively,” Eala added.
Eala will compete against the world’s best again in the French Open, which runs from May 25 to June 18. However, before that, she will compete in the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal, which begins on April 14.
