“My main goal is simply to be the best version of myself,” Alexandra Eala said after bursting onto the scene with her title triumph at the 2022 US Open girls’ tournament. All she wanted then was to take it “step by step.” Fast forward three years, and she is now taking massive strides in the tennis world. The 19-year-old recently outclassed the World no.5 Madison Keys at the Miami Open, beating her in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 in the Round of 32. After that match, she reflected a bit on the “big decision” in her life that brought her here. Well, what was it?

After defeating the 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in R64, Alexandra Eala literally outclassed Maddie Keys. With this victory over the in-form American, Eala has now become the first Filipino player in the Open Era to beat a Top-10 player since the WTA rankings came into the scene in 1975. Keys had won 98 WTA 1000 matches in her career before this match, which was 95 more than Eala’s tally. Not only that her current ranking is 135 spots higher than that of Eala. These numbers speak volumes about the scale of this victory for Eala.

The teenage Filipino started playing tennis at a very early age and had to even move away from her house to pursue her dreams in the racket sport. Eala has been a student of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, since her early teens. But it wasn’t easy for her to leave her family behind and move to a completely different nation. “It came as a shock because I was young. I was 13 when they made that — when we made that decision, and it was a big decision for us,” she said in her recent post-match interview.

Continuing further, she added, “I think one of the deal-breakers for my parents was that they sent my brother along with me, so I still had family close. You know, they did visit every once in a while, but it was definitely a big decision for me, for us. As soon as I heard that, I jumped at the opportunity because I knew that I had to get out of the country eventually to improve, yeah.” That bold step, however, in her early days has now positioned her to become a role model to all the other Filipino kids who aspire to play tennis at the highest level.

How big has been the role of Rafa Nadal Academy in her career? “The academy has been my home for the past seven years. Of course, my family should take credit for the foundation that they laid out before they sent me there. But of course, the academy was able to build on that foundation in such a way that I’m able to be where I am now. And I think the combination of everything that I’ve been through since I started tennis is what has led to this moment and what has led to me having all these opportunities,” Eala further remarked.

If we take a look at her achievements before her incredible breakthrough in 2022, Alexandra Eala – at the age of 12 – won the 2018 Les Petit As 14-and0under tournament, beating Linda Noskova in the finals. She was even named the 2019 Milo Junior Athlete of the Year in 2019. Other than her singles success in 2022, she also won the doubles title in the junior category at the 2020 AO and the 2021 French Open.

Interestingly, Eala’s three main-draw wins at the Miami Open are more than the victories secured by all players from the Philippines combined in the Miami Open. Not only that, Eala is only the fourth wild card to defeat a Top 5 player at the Miami  Open. 

She will now take on the Spanish star, Paula Baodsa in the R16. Alexandra Eala has never faced Badosa in her career before, so what does she have to say before this epic clash against the World number 11?

“To compete” – Alexandra Eala looks determined ahead of R16 clash against Paula Badosa

Per Alexandra Eala, Rafael Nadal’s academy brought a “whole different level” to her 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,” the 19-year-old said in a recent interview. For the 2025 season, she made a crucial coaching change and began pre-season training with Alexandro “Sandro” Viaene, another coach from the Rafa Nadal Academy.

Eala currently has a win-loss record of 10-7 in the 2025 season. It’s pretty clear she has been in decent form, but does she really have a chance against someone like Badosa? Well, before facing the former world number 2, Eala admitted that this was going to be a “tough match“. Especially considering the experience the Spaniard has. But she remains undeterred.

“I’m going to go in tomorrow with all the intention that I had today and the matches before,” the teenager said, before adding, “I’m already getting ready for my match tomorrow. It’s what I came here to do, you know — to compete.”

Rafael Nadal was very impressed with Eala’s performance against Ostapenko in R64. He even shared a post on X and congratulated her for the incredible win. Can the young Filipino keep her winning run intact and earn further praise from one of her tennis idols by securing the QF spot at the 2025 Miami Open?