MIAMI, FL — Alexandra Eala had barely any time to process her history-making run at the Miami Open presented by Itau, but on Sunday afternoon she already had one thing clear: There’s still one more match to prepare for.
The big-hitting teenager from the Philippines pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the fortnight as she took down Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open champion, in straight sets. And it wasn’t just the victory, but the way Eala clinched it that turned heads: It was a thrashing as she dismantled Keys’ serve, breaking six times on her way to a 6-4, 6-2 victory at the No. 5 seed’s home event.
Overwhelmed with infectious joy after the monumental win, Eala leaped and ran to celebrate with her team and, during the on-court interview, she sent a tearful shoutout to parents Mike and Rizza, who stayed up until the early morning hours back home to witness the moment: “Mom, dad, I did it… My god!”
Read More: Alexandra Eala scores the Philippines’ biggest WTA win against Jelena Ostapenko in Miami
By the time that she’d arrived to the whirlwind of post-match obligations—treatment, recovery, media, press and more—the Quezon City native already seemed eager for the next challenge.
“I think every single player here has envisioned themselves as a successful tennis player,” Eala reflected. “This is the goal, to do well on the WTA Tour, to win Slams, to get the rankings.
“I think this is a good step towards where I want to be.”
