Alex Eala pulled off a career-defining upset at the Miami Open, eliminating world No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 to advance to her first WTA semifinal. The 19-year-old wild card became the first Filipina to reach a tour-level semifinal, marking a historic milestone for Philippine tennis.

“I’m in complete disbelief right now,” Eala said after the match. “I feel like I’m the exact same person I was two years ago, but circumstances have changed. My coach told me to go for every ball because a five-time Slam champion won’t give you the win.”

"Complete disbelief right now, I’m on cloud nine"#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/VwkuwbJfyf

— wta (@WTA) March 26, 2025

Breaking records and making history

Eala’s victory secures her a spot in the Top 100 of the PIF WTA Rankings next Monday, making her the first Filipina to achieve the feat. She joins Justine Henin (2010) and Victoria Azarenka (2018) as the only wild cards to reach the Miami Open semifinals.

Before this tournament, Eala had never defeated a Top 40 opponent. In Miami, she has now beaten three Grand Slam champions—Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and now Swiatek—becoming just the second wild card to do so in a single event after Elina Svitolina at Wimbledon 2023.

How Eala pulled off the upset

The match opened with a physical battle, with the first four games alone taking over 25 minutes. Despite an early exchange of breaks, Eala surged ahead, winning five consecutive games to take the first set.

Her aggressive returning game was key, winning 50% of Swiatek’s second-serve points while hitting deep, attacking shots that put the world No. 2 on the back foot. Swiatek, known for her dominance, struggled with consistency, committing 32 unforced errors throughout the match.

After falling behind 2-4 in the second set, Eala staged a composed comeback, capitalizing on Swiatek’s errors and stepping up her shot selection. She closed the match with a deep return, forcing Swiatek’s backhand into the net on match point.

A mindset built for big moments

Despite her limited WTA experience, Eala credited her mental discipline and ability to stay in the moment as key to her success.

“I don’t have a lot of experience on tour, but I do have experience in compartmentalizing,” she said. “It’s something I’ve learned from my family, and it’s part of our values. I really tried to soak in the moment because this has never happened to me before.”

Eala will now face either No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula or Emma Raducanu in the semifinals, as she aims for a first WTA final.