Eala making noise at Miami Open

Alex Eala’s face was pale and in pure innocence as her knees crumbled at midcourt, possibly the effect of the sudden mix of hysteria and disbelief. She held back her tears, not that this 19-year-old wanted no taste of celebration, but she was rather floating in an air of shock and impelled to a position no other Filipino has ever stepped in.

- EDITORS DESK RAMON RAFAEL BONILLA

Eala is clearly into the stratosphere. It was near 3 a.m. on Thursday, March 27, 2025, that the nation erupted in sheer joy and surprise when Eala pulled off the biggest upset in her career: she just defeated world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, 6-2, 7-5, at the Miami Open quarterfinals, an ultra-competitive meet rated as a WTA1000 event and just a notch lower than the prestigious four Grand Slam tournaments.

Swiatek is a Polish superstar and is one of the most dominant tennis players in recent years, having won five Grand Slams — four of those at Roland Garros — and was the former No. 1 player. She was also a Paris Olympic bronze medalist, and has a plethora of other titles that would surely taunt and provoke fear and submission to an opponent.