Alexandra Eala stunned World No 2 Iga Swiatek to reach the Miami Open semi-finals and make history for tennis in the Philippines. The teenage wildcard defeated an out-of-sorts Swiatek 6-2 7-5 and will now play either fourth seed Jessica Pegula or Britain’s Emma Raducanu for a place in the final.
World No 140 Eala broke further ground in Miami by becoming the first player from the Philippines to reach a WTA 1000 semi-final. The wildcard has now beaten three grand slam champions on her way to the final four; having previously beaten Australian Open champion Madison Keys and 2020 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, Eala did not blink as she knocked out five-time grand slam winner Swiatek in straight sets.
The 19-year-old, who won the US Open girls title in 2022, is a graduate of Rafael Nadal’s tennis academy in Mallorca, moving there from the Philippines when she was just 13. She is coached by Nadal’s uncle, Toni Nadal, and is also left-handed, like the Spanish 22-time grand slam winner.
The defeat continues a difficult run for former World No 1 Swiatek, who was playing under increased security protection after being verbally abused by a man during a practice session in Miami on Saturday. A statement from Swiatek’s team said the man had also sent the five-time grand slam winner harassing messages online.
The Polish player, who is without a title in 2025, took to Instagram following her semi-final defeat in Indian Wells earlier this month to criticise “unhealthy standards” and “constant judgement”, saying that the last few months had been “extremely challenging” following her one-month suspension for a doping violation.
Eala, who had played just two matches on the WTA Tour prior to receiving a wildcard into main draw of the Miami Open, will move into the top-100 for the first time.
