Remember how Alexandra Eala’s throwback picture with former World No.1 Iga Swiatek went viral, last week, after the Filipino beat the five-time Slam queen in the Miami Open QF round? Back in 2023, Eala shared a frame with 22-time Slam king Rafael Nadal alongside Swiatek, who attended the teenager’s graduation ceremony as a commencement speaker in Nadal’s renowned academy. Well, another throwback photograph has now popped up on social media. But this time, it’s from Eala’s childhood, where she’s seen sharing an adorable moment with ex-Russian WTA pro and legend Maria Sharapova. Not to mention the fans are left in awe!

A fan account of Eala shared an unseen photo on X, showing the five-time Slam champion Sharapova with little Eala. The WTA pro and the cute child can be seen smiling in the frame. It’s not confirmed when and where this photo was taken, though. However, it doesn’t come as a surprise, given how much Eala has mentioned being inspired by Sharapova during her early years.

Last year, before her second round match in Madrid, Eala revealed, “I had a poster of her in my room, she was my fifth-grade project,” Alex Eala said. “I like her style, I like how she fought and ran after every ball.” And after her victory against Swiatek in Miami this year, the Filipino sat down for a presser, dated March 26, spilling some more beans.

When asked “if there are any current or past players on the women’s side that you particularly looked up to in terms of your game style, kind of wanting to emulate them on the court?”, she revealed, “Absolutely. Growing up, my absolute favorite was Maria Sharapova.” Any specific reason?

“My favorite was Maria Sharapova. I think I liked her courage and, obviously, the way she dressed and carried herself. I was very young and she was someone I looked up to. And later I started to admire Simona Halep, Li Na or Ashleigh Barty,” Ella said as reported by the Romanian website, gsp.ro.

The influence of idols is a common thread in the early stages of an athlete’s career. For Alex Eala, this was evident five years ago when, in a Philstar article, the then 14-year-old stated: “I really admire Simona Halep, I love the way she moves on the court and her attitude. I’m also a fan of Maria Sharapova, but Simona has a special intensity and a lot of energy on the court, but what I like the most is her mentality and the way she works and the fact that she doesn’t give up . “

Her goals are also constant. “My dreams have remained the same since the beginning, I’ve always been a dreamer. I want to win Grand Slam tournaments and become world number one, “Eala pointed out in Miami. Just like her idol, Sharapova who has 5 grand slam titles and reached her No. 1 rankings on 22 August 2005, over 4 years after turning pro.

Eala witnessed her best run in a WTA 1000 event in Florida last week. Sadly, she couldn’t create history by lifting the trophy after losing against Jessica Pegula in the semifinal. However, the wildcard was happy with her performance and the overall campaign. In a self-reflective post on Instagram, she wrote,

“Wow, this year’s @miamiopen has left me speechless and so full of emotion, mostly pride and gratitude. I’m proud of myself for pushing through those tough moments, as well as to have been able to make a statement for the Philippines in one of the biggest stages of tennis.”

Meanwhile, fans on social media could hardly resist sharing their reactions over Eala’s childhood moment with Sharapova.

Fans rejoice over “baby” Alexandra Eala’s cute moment with Maria Sharapova

One user simply wrote, “lovely🥰” while appreciating the future star and the former Russian legend. Echoing a similar sentiment, another fan wrote, “so cute!”.

Alexandra Eala‘s 2025 season was going okay until she arrived in Miami. Before the WTA 1000 event, her best run in 2025 came in the Canberra International. There, she managed to reach the last four as well. In Miami Open, what made her campaign exceptional was the fact that she edged out three former Slam winners.

In R64, she beat the 2017 Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko. Later, the Filipino crushed the 2025 Australian Open queen Madison Keys in R32. In her next battle, R16, she got a direct entry into the last eight. Her opponent, Paula Badosa, had a walkover due to an injury. And as we know it, Eala later clinched her third win over a Slam winner against Swiatek. Not to mention that the result left her in “complete disbelief” as she felt to be “on cloud nine”.

Well, several fans couldn’t help but take a playful jab at Eala, looking at her childhood picture with Sharapova. “Already around the pros even when your teeth aren’t complete yet 🫢😄❤️” wrote one user. Meanwhile, another one chimed in saying, “missing some front teeth. 🤭🤭🤭🤡😇” On the other hand, one user simply described the duo as “Mommy 🐐 and baby 🐐”

Defeating Swiatek, she achieved something truly unique in Miami Open history. She stands alone as the only woman ranked outside the Top 100 to conquer a Top 2 opponent at the tournament. To put her accomplishment in perspective, the previous lowest-ranked woman to do so was Daria Gavrilova, ranked No. 97 when she beat Maria Sharapova in 2015.

It appears Eala’s on the path to greatness, for sure. Even though she lost the SF to Pegula, the teenager earned huge complements from several notable figures. Take for example, WTA legend Chris Evert. After losing the first set, the World No.140 made a comeback and won the second set. Eventually, she pushed the match into a decider against the World No.4. Seeing this, 18-time Slam winner Evert reacted on X, “Incredible that Alex Eala still has anything left in her considering the teen has beaten 3 Grand Slam Champs..👍👏”

Update: After her semifinal stint in Florida, Eala has made a huge jump in WTA rankings. She’s become the first player from Philippines to break into top 100. After the list got updated on Monday, she climbed up 65 spots. Eala’s now World No.75.

What are your thoughts on the 19-year-old Filipino’s prospects going forward in 2025? Will she repeat what she did in Miami in any upcoming WTA event? Let us know in the comments below.