Alexandra Eala has already turned her focus to the Miami Open immediately after her exit from Indian Wells.
Eala continued her superstar status at Indian Wells, where she made it to the round of 16 in her debut at the iconic tournament in California.
The Filipina ace was the 31st seed at the WTA 1000 event, where Linda Noskova ended her dream abruptly with a ruthless 6-2, 6-0 victory.
But Eala has now issued a strong statement ahead of her next tournament in Miami, where she truly introduced herself to the tennis world in 2025.
Alexandra Eala will finish 2026 ranked — in the world
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Alexandra Eala says she’s ‘here to stay’ ahead of Miami Open
Eala said: “I can’t speak for the future and what will actually happen when I arrive in Miami.
“Miami last year was a beautiful time for me and it was the start of all of this, but since then I’ve achieved a lot as well.
“I’ve grown a lot and I’ve had so many good matches, so many tough losses, so much experience since then.
“And that’s helped me build confidence, self-esteem, and I know that I belong here.
“So it doesn’t matter if I win the tournament in Miami or if I lose in the first round, I know I’m here and I’m here to stay.”
Heading into the Miami Open in 2025, Eala was ranked 140th in the world, but made it all the way to the semifinals.
The Filipina favorite knocked out three former Grand Slam champions – Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys and Jelena Ostapenko – before losing to Jessica Pegula.
This time around she will be a seeded player, and will enter the tournament on the back of becoming the first player from the Philippines to play a match in the Indian Wells main draw.
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Alexandra Eala thriving off mutual fan love
There are more than a few superstars on the WTA Tour, from world number one Aryna Sabalenka to American icon Coco Gauff.
But Eala has rapidly become one of the most popular players in the sport, helped by her enormous following from the Philippines.
Her supporters constantly show up in huge numbers to see her in action, whether that be in matches or simply in practice.
And despite being only 20 years old, she continuously shows fantastic maturity and understanding through her warm interactions with and gratitude towards her followers.
Eala has proven time and again that she has the talent to defeat top-quality players, but she has the added boost of fans on her side more often than not.
She’ll once again have that backing at the Miami Open, where history suggests another lengthy run is very much on the cards.
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