Eala received a main draw wildcard for the Miami Open and made the most out of the opportunity. She kicked off her campaign by ousting home favorite Katie Voleynets, following which she defeated the 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, the 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys, and the five-time Major champion Iga Swiatek, all in straight sets.
It is also worth noting that these women were seeded 25th, fifth, and second, respectively. In the semifinal, Eala faced fourth seed Jessica Pegula, and the two women engaged in a thrilling match, however, the American clinched the thriller 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3. The women shared a lovely exchange at the net during the ceremonial post-match handshake.
Alexandra Eala’s followers celebrated alongside her after the loss to offer appreciation for her dream run, resulting in a viral video. The Rafa Nadal Academy’s official Instagram account posted a sweet tribute for their hero, emphasising how she was cheery in both her victories and setbacks.
“😃 After winning and 😃☺️ after losing. ❤️ @alex.eala 🇵🇭❤️.“
Watch the post below (Swipe left for reaction after defeat):
During her fairy tale campaign, Eala also received support from Rafael Nadal, his sister Maribel, and his uncle Toni. However, that was not all; the teenage prodigy also received some encouraging words from another all-time great of the game, Chris Evert.
