Alexandra Eala wrote her name in tennis history when the 19-year-old Filipina defeated Australian Open champion Madison Keys to reach the round of 16 of the Miami Open.
She became the first woman from the Philippines to beat a top-10 opponent since the ranking system came into being 50 years ago.
And Eala celebrated the result with spontaneity and emotion, hugging her team while on the brink of tears. A little later, a more composed Eala tried to put it into context.
"It's a big thing to take in. I'm so super proud of what I was able to accomplish, but it definitely fuels me more," she said. "I know and it's in my mind that I have a next match, but I need to stop, and I need to recognize that what I did today was really amazing."
When Eala was a 13-year-old girl, growing up in the Philippines, her talent was evident and her family made the difficult decision to send her to Rafael Nadal's academy in Spain. The access to the quality of coaching and facilities that Nadal makes available has helped Eala to grow into the 2022 US Open girls' singles champion and now a real contender on the WTA Tour.
"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," she said. "But 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 has led to this moment and to me having all these opportunities."
As close as Eala evidently is to her family, she said she knew it was the right move. "I jumped at the opportunity because I knew that I had to get out of the country eventually to improve," she added.
Her big win came the day after Hong Kong's Coleman Wong, another Asian member of the Nadal Academy, pulled off a stunning win of his own in Miami, beating 13th seed Ben Shelton. Eala and Wong are good friends.
"I'm super happy for him and to see someone that I've known so long do so well is definitely an inspiration. Not just to me, but I feel in general a lot of people can take inspiration from him," she said.
But while she hopes that her victory will provide hope and motivation for other young players from her homeland, she is reluctant to be a role model. "They can take inspiration from other things, which is what I did growing up," Eala said.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Alxandra Eala turns emotional after defeating Madison Keys to become the first woman from the Philippines to beat a top-10 opponent. AFP
Coleman Wong
