In Madrid, 19-year-old Alexandra Eala displays impressive composure, especially considering she surprised everyone, including herself, with her performance in Miami last month.
Ranked No. 140 before that hard-court tournament, the talented Filipina had no prior wins against Top 100 players on the WTA Tour. Yet, she stunned three Grand Slam winners – Jelena Ostapenko (ranked 25), Madison Keys (ranked 5), and Iga Swiatek (ranked 2) – en route to the semifinals.
While Eala was confident in her ability to challenge players ranked in the top 100, she admitted on Tuesday that beating Top 10 and Top 5 opponents was a genuine surprise, albeit a pleasant one. She maintains the belief before every match that victory is possible.
Eala will need this resilient mindset for her second-round match at the Mutua Madrid Open on Thursday. Following her 6-3, 6-2 victory over Viktoriya Tomova, she faces a rapid rematch against Iga Swiatek, who boasts the best clay-court record among active players (90-12, .882).
Eala described Swiatek as an “all-court player” capable on both hard courts and clay. However, she emphasized that every match is unique, stating, “each match is a different story. Even if it’s against the same player every time… it’s going to be a different story than the last one.”
Their previous and first encounter resulted in a surprising 6-2, 7-5 win for Eala. The lesser-known left-hander utilized the element of surprise effectively, breaking Swiatek`s serve three times in the opening set and maintaining pressure. Swiatek herself commented that Eala played “all out” with a “flat” ball, contributing to an uncharacteristic 32 unforced errors from Swiatek.
The challenge on clay against the four-time Roland Garros champion will be significant. Swiatek has a strong record in Madrid, winning 13 of her 15 matches, whereas Eala has only played one match here.
“I guess we`ll see,” Swiatek remarked on Tuesday, acknowledging her familiarity with the venue. “I feel like I know this place pretty well so I’m going to for sure use the experience — but the experience doesn’t play, though.”
When questioned about the most valuable attributes of her opponents, Eala highlighted Aryna Sabalenka`s serve and specifically praised two aspects of Swiatek`s game: “I love her intensity and her footwork,” Eala stated, adding that these are areas she aims to improve by observing and imitating.
Despite the unexpected success in Miami, Eala is focused on staying grounded. She mentioned receiving encouraging contact from 2019 US Open winner Bianca Andreescu, who, Eala feels, “has been in a similar position” and understands the challenges after a breakthrough win at a young age. Andreescu, who also won her first major at 19, has not advanced past the fourth round at a Grand Slam since then.
Life has changed significantly for the Rafa Nadal Academy alumna. While a loss in a minor tournament wouldn`t have raised eyebrows a year ago, her second-round defeat in Oeiras, Portugal, last week led some to question if her Miami run was a one-off.
“A lot of external factors have changed – more eyes on me, there’s more exposure,” noted Eala, whose ranking has risen sharply to No. 72. However, she feels her internal state and daily routine remain largely the same due to her consistent work ethic and her team`s efforts to keep her grounded.
While Miami serves as inspiration, Eala is trying to move past it, despite constant questions. She explained, “In my mind, I have my whole life to look back at those moments and I’ll always have those memories,” but emphasized her current focus: “But the tour goes on, competition goes on, so right now I’m fully focused on Madrid.”
Swiatek, too, will be fully focused on this match. After discussing strategy with coach Wim Fissette, she will step onto Manolo Santana Stadium aware of her status as a dominant player on clay. Will this give her an edge in the rematch?
Swiatek remained cautious about predicting the outcome: “I haven’t started the tournament yet, so you best need to let me go on court and feel what I feel,” she said, adding that she`s “not going to predict anything, like I`m not a wizard.” She concluded that she must treat “this match like any other match — it doesn’t really matter what happened in Miami.”
