Alexandra Eala, a 19-year-old wildcard from the Philippines, pulled off a major upset at the Miami Open, defeating world No. 2 Iga Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) to secure a spot in the semifinals.

Ranked 140th in the world, Eala became the first woman from her country to reach the quarterfinals of a WTA 1000 event. She remained composed despite trailing 4-2 in the second set and capitalized on Swiatek’s inconsistency to close out the match.

Eala secured the victory by breaking Swiatek’s serve for the eighth and final time at 6-5 in the second set. Overwhelmed by the achievement, she described the moment as surreal and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete at this level.

Her run in Miami has been remarkable, with victories over three Grand Slam champions—Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and now four-time French Open winner Swiatek. She credited her strong belief in her game and the support of her team for her success.

Eala has trained at Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca since the age of 13, and Toni Nadal, Rafael’s uncle and former coach, was in her player’s box during the match. She acknowledged his presence as a sign of confidence from both him and the academy.

In the semifinals, Eala will face the winner of the quarterfinal match between Britain’s Emma Raducanu and American Jessica Pegula. She emphasized that each match presents a new challenge and that she will need to give her best effort moving forward.

For Swiatek, the focus now shifts to the clay court season. She admitted that she was not at her best, struggling with her forehand and unable to find her usual rhythm. Swiatek recognized Eala’s strong performance and stated that she would use the experience as a learning opportunity for the rest of the season.

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