Alex Eala creates tennis history for the Philippines. For them this is the simple part

Miami – socks the records. Seven in the past few months all over the world the scores from the games in Trnava, Slovakia or Bengaluru, India or Takasaki, Japan.

Apart from five consecutive victories in January at a small tournament in Canberra, Australia, there is hardly any immediacy for Alexandra Eala to break a week. But here she is supposed to take over Iga Swiatek, the most mercilessly dominant women’s player in the past three years, in the quarter -finals of the Miami Open – a WTA 1,000 event just below the degree of a Grand Slam.

The 19 -year -old Eala is in a place where there was no player from the Philippines. No wonder their parents fly to the match.

However, the pioneer could be the easiest for Eala with which he can handle. For some time now she has broken the ground for tennis players from her country – an archipelago with 7,641 islands and more than 110 million people.

Eala was the first to win the Les Petits as a first -class international tournament for children between the ages of 12 and 14. She was the first to win a junior Grand Slam at the US Open 2022. It is the first to come at the top of the top 100.

“It prepared me to record step by step,” said Eala during an interview under the Hard Rock Stadium on Monday evening.

Minutes earlier, Eala had heard the news that Paula Badosa had been withdrawn from her 16th round of game with a back injury. She had to find out if she would play Swiatek later in the evening Elina Svitolina.

She was on the fence. It was the second game of the evening session and would probably end after midnight. Maybe she could rest something to serve her better. She had never done anything like that.

“Many new experiences,” she said.

Eala began her stay in Miami with a solid victory against the American Katie Poryneten, a scrambler with a sneaky hard knockout strike when she needs it. Then she defeated the Mercurial 2017 French Open Champion Jelena Ostapenko in two tight sets. That was their first victory over a top 30 player. It was also the first victory against a top 30 player for a Filipino player since the WTA ranking list was first published in 1975.

Then she supported it by defeating Madison Keys, the reigning Australian Open Champion and the World No. 5, 6-4, 6-2. Two top 30 victories and a top 5 victory for Eala; The same applies to the Philippines.

Keys is her home in Florida and beats something near the biggest ball in the women’s tennis. Her forehand was too big for top 10 men players Casper Ruud to handle mixed doubles in front of the BNP Paribas in Indian Wells, California during an exhibition.

Eala used her legs to get her feet behind keys’ recordings. She took the strength, aimed at the lines and sent keys on the flight of Mirra Andreeva, another teenager who has recently overthrew larger and more powerful enemies.

“I knew that she was a great player, I knew she was a big hit,” said Eala after the game. “I had to stop my legs and use the possibilities that I could find.”

Eala owes this open opportunity in Miami one of the quirks of her sport: the Wildcard entry, with which the owners of tournaments can indicate a handful of places at each event that would otherwise have to go through a qualified competition if they can qualify at all.

IMG, the sports and entertainment conglomerate, has the Miami Open and represents Eala. The company usually distinguishes spots in the main extract of the tournament for some of its promising young players. This year Eala received one of the golden tickets.

But then she actually had to do something with it, as she had before. She was born with sporting genes and financial resources. Her mother was a top swimmer in the Philippines and a leader at a leading telecommunications company there. There are many children born with this type of family tree. Few of them take the chance to become a top tennis player, as Eala has now done, especially in a country where basketball rules the sporty rust.

She won several medals at the Asian Games and deserved bronze in 2023 after losing gold in the semi -finals against Zheng Qinwen, who would win gold at the 2024 Olympics.

Eala celebrates her bronze medal in the women -Singles at the Asian Games 2023. (Jia Haocheng / Xinhua about Sipa USA)

“When I grew up, it was hard,” said Eala after hit the keys. “They didn’t have anyone from whom they are out to pave the way. Of course, they had many people who can look up all over the world, but I hope that this brings the Filipino tennis to the next step.”

It was her family who brought her to the court. Eala’s grandfather, a tennis fan, placed all of his grandchildren into sport in his local club. Alexandra and her older brother Miko, who played at Pennsylvania State University, accepted the most.

“I never had anything else that was not a tennis,” said Eala. “I saw when I grew that I was getting better and better and I saw that I always had the potential to do it.”

The first hint came at the age of 12 with the victory at Les Petits. It brought her a scholarship for Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain. Her brother also got a place to live her parents in a dormitory on the other side of the world at the age of 13.

“Being on a scholarship was something I don’t think about,” she said. “I knew I wanted to do that, so it was a good step to become a professional.”

Nadal published her congratulations on her on social media last week.

Even after winning the Junior Us Open title, Eala knew that she had a long way to go.

Things can change quickly in the career of a tennis player. Sometimes the door opens and a new big thing storms through it, but Eala pushed back against any kind of radical transformation. She knows that there are only a few overnight accommodations these days. Andreeva is the youngest player in the top 100 and she only has another teenager for society, Australia’s Maya Joint. Eala, in 102th place in the live rankings thanks to her Miami run, hopes to take part to you soon.

“I’m the same person I was two weeks ago,” she said. “It’s definitely a big step, but I can’t assume that it is solidified. I just have to reduce my head, continue working and the results will come when I continue this way.”

The path has suddenly become much more fun, which is important, but not quite the point, especially at Swiadek on the horizon. She has already seen her close-up: The five-time Grand Slam champion was a guest of honor when Eala completed the Nadal’s Academy. Now, like all other rivals, she is in an unknown area for Eala.

“I’ve never been to a big tournament for so long, so I definitely enjoy it,” she said. “But I’m still hungry and I’m still motivated.”

(Top photo: Robert Prange / Getty Images)