“Clearly She Has Intentions to…” – Alexandra Eala’s Aggression Brutally Blindsides Iga Swiatek Into a Heartbreaking Loss in Miami

Alexandra Eala, an unexpected wildcard sensation in the Miami Open, has now stunned World No. 2 Iga Swiatek—a hat-trick of victories over three former Slam winners in one event. The 19-year-old played with the confidence and skill of a top seed, dominating the latter part of the first set to clinch it 6-2. Eala carried her momentum into the second set, initially taking control. However, Świątek rallied to establish a 4-2 lead, which was later narrowed to 5-4. But then, Świątek’s game faltered, and she succumbed to a series of errors, losing the next three games and handing the victory to Eala. Let’s just say, Swiatek was left scratching her head. And the aftermath is not the one to miss.!

While they may have faced each other for the first time in Miami, the two have got an interesting connection. It goes back to 2023.

Back then, Eala graduated from the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca. And guess who was present there as a commencement speaker? Yes, it was none other than Swiatek. In fact, they both were pictured as well in one frame alongside the 22-time Slam king and 14-time Roland Garros champion. Swiatek clearly didn’t have an ounce of idea, two years ago, that the youngster would eventually leave her awestruck in a professional match. Following her unexpected defeat, Swiatek revealed the reason she thought might have worked for Eala.

During a press conference, dated March 26, she said, “I didn’t know she’s going to play that flat, but besides that, well, she was really aggressive, you know, and she kept her focus. And, like, I don’t know, some of these shots were pretty like out of nowhere.” Continuing further, she added, “But still, you know, I could see clearly she has intentions to go forward and to push. So it worked for her today, for sure.”

Prior to the Pole, she also beat Jelena Ostapenko and then Madison Keys in second and third round, respectively. Against Keys, Eala managed to get her first win over a top-10 player. It’s interesting to note that Eala hadn’t even beaten a top-40 player until Miami. Meanwhile, for Swiatek, it was just her third career loss against a player ranked outside top 100.

Eala received an unexpected advantage in the fourth round, advancing via walkover due to Paula Badosa’s injury, which provided her with additional rest leading into the quarterfinals. And when she won it, Eala seemed teary-eyed and had no words to describe the feeling. “I’m in complete disbelief right now, I’m on cloud nine,” said an ecstatic Alexandra Eala becoming the first player from the Philippines to reach a semi-final at tour level .

Trying to catch her breath, being in tears of joy, she revealed in an on-court interview, “It’s so surreal. I’m so happy and so blessed to be able to compete with such a player on this stage … My coach told me to run, to go for every ball, to take all the opportunities I can, because a five-time Slam champion is not going to give you the win.”

Later, in a post-match conference, she added, “I don’t have a lot of experience on the WTA Tour, that’s for sure” while giving credit to compartmentalization as a key to success. “I have experience with being professional. I have no hesitation to bring that part of me out when I’m on court and when I’m in a setting that calls for professionalism.”

Ahead of her much-important SF clash on Friday against Jessica Pegula, the Filipino received a huge motivation as well. Her idol and former ATP legend Rafael Nadal admired her on social media!

Following a remarkable win over Iga Swiatek, Alexandra Eala earns high praise from Rafael Nadal

“I would love to think that I make a difference,” Eala said of her ambitions when she plays. “That’s the only thing I can do to give back to my country is to help inspire, to inspire change and positive change, to inspire people to pick up a racket, to watch more tennis, watch more women’s tennis.”

To add to her celebrations, Nadal also showered praise on the rising talent. As soon as the news of her QF victory spread online, the tennis GOAT wrote on X, “We are extremely proud of you, Alex. What an incredible tournament! Let’s keep dreaming! 💪🏼” But the mission is still far from over. If Eala wants to etch her name in history books, she will have to create one in Miami.

Stepping against American Jessica Pegula on Friday, she will need to maintain her indomitable run. Both players have never crossed paths so far. Hence, it will be intriguing to see who ends up making it to the title clash. Pegula is coming off her QF win over Emma Raducanu on Wednesday. What are your thoughts on Eala’s prospects in Miami? Is she on the verge of achieving a huge milestone this weekend?