Eala had become the story of the tournament with her run to the semifinals, scoring wins over both reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys and former No. 1 Iga Swiatek, defeating the pair in straight sets. The 19-year-old had indeed come a long way from the youngster who grew up practicing on a basketball court with her brother Miko.
“They had to paint their own lines,” explained Tennis Channel analyst and former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, who praised Eala’s “energy and attitude” throughout the contest.
Eala went on to graduate from the Rafael Nadal Academy, a milestone for which both Nadal and Swiatek were present, and cap her junior career with a girl’s singles title at the 2022 US Open.
The teenager maintained her blistering pace early on against Pegula, who finished runner-up at the US Open last summer, carving out a quick a 5-2 lead. Twice a semifinalist in Miami (2022, 2023), Pegula needed three sets to survive 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu and found her flat hitting neutralized by Eala’s counterpunching as she twice lost serve in the first seven games.
