Alexandra Eala is through to the third round of the Miami Open after defeating Laura Siegemund in three sets.
Eala, seeded 31st at the WTA 1000 competition, fell in the first set to Siegemund narrowly, losing the tiebreak 8-6.
The Filipino quickly bounced back, however, and took the second 6-3 to force a decider against the German.
Alexandra Eala will finish 2026 ranked — in the world
Fill in the blanks!
Despite a defiant effort from Siegemund, Eala came out on top in almost three and a half hours to win 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 and advance to round three.
The 20-year-old star burst onto the scene at last year’s Miami Open, where she made the semifinal of the tournament, and now she is aiming to go one step further.
Alexandra Eala reacts to beating Laura Siegemund in Miami
Asked how special it is to be back in Miami in her on-court interview, Eala said: “It means the world to me, and it says a lot of my progress and how I’ve developed as a player and as a person.
“I came into Miami last year as a wildcard and now I’m in the third round again so I’m really really happy and especially having been able to compete at this level today against an amazing fighter, so I am really happy.”
Giving her verdict on the match, Eala added: “It definitely was close. Very demanding, physically and mentally, but that was one of my goals last year after this tournament, to improve physically and here I am fresh as a flower.
Who is your favorite player – Alexandra Eala or Coco Gauff?
Let us know why in the comments!
“I think I’m really pleased with how I’m handling everything as a whole. A lot of things have changed for me, especially this year in this season.
“So I think I’m doing a good job of keeping that balance of being hungry and staying happy and still working hard.”
Alexandra Eala’s potential next opponent at the Miami Open
After coming through the test, Eala may end up meeting world number two Iga Swiatek in the third round of the Miami Open.
Swiatek will take on Polish compatriot Magda Linette, with the winner set to go head-to-head with Eala.
Eala met Swiatek at last year’s edition of the Miami Open in the quarterfinals, and delivered a monumental upset.
She beat the six-time major winner in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5 to continue her fairytale run.
Eala was ultimately beaten in the quarterfinals by Jessica Pegula, falling in three sets to the American.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
