Tennis fans love what Alexandra Eala did straight after her loss to Jessica Pegula in Miami which they are calling ‘amazing’

Follow us on Google Discover

Alexandra Eala’s fairy tale run at the Miami Open came to an end as Jessica Pegula booked her place in the final.

Few tennis fans were aware of Eala two weeks ago, but she has quickly made a name for herself following her historic run at the Miami Open.

The world number 140 secured wins over three Grand Slam champions in Florida: Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek.

Eala’s win over Swiatek in the quarterfinal guaranteed her a place in the top 100 when the next set of rankings are released on Monday, becoming the first Filipino player to do so.

She may not have gone all the way, as Eala fell to defeat against Pegula, but she certainly won the hearts of fans around the world, who were particularly enamoured by what she did after her defeat in Miami.

Tennis fans loved seeing Alexandra Eala celebrate after her Miami Open defeat to Jessica Pegula

Sitting down on her bench after losing to Pegula, 6-7, 7-5, 3-6, Eala can be seen taking in the love from the Floridian crowd.

The 19-year-old threw her hands in the air, smiling in defeat, as the fans reacted by waving Filipino flags high.

Many took to X to share their thoughts on the heart-warming moment between Eala and the Miami Open crowd.

“Love her emotion,” said one fan.

“What a joyful attitude from [Alexandra] Eala,” added another.

“Tons of reasons to love her right now, superstar in the making.”

“Love how she was soaking it in,” said one fan.

One fan took to X to praise the young Filipino star for her run in Miami that saw her knock out three Major champions.

“Aww her smile,” they said.

“The cinderEala run has unfortunately ended but oh well, at least we can say Alex Eala is truly a Grand Slam slayer.

“May this simply be the beginning of her rise. Let’s go.”

“Alex did not win the tournament nor make the finals, but she won the respect and the hearts not only of the great tennis players but of all the world,” said Noli Eala, her uncle.

“Keep moving forward, Vamos Alex.”

One Filippino fan compared the media’s coverage of Eala to another of the nation’s sporting heroes.

“Alex Eala getting the Manny Pacquiao coverage,” they said.

“It feels so good to finally root for someone [of] our own.”

Manny Pacquiao, widely considered to be one of the greatest boxers of all time, was another to congratulate Eala on her run to the Miami Open semi-finals.

“You may not have made the finals, but you won the hearts of the world, Alex Eala,” he said.

“The whole nation is proud.

“This is just the beginning, you’ve shown the heart of a true champion, the future is bright for you.”

Alexandra Eala’s remarkable rise to tennis stardom

At 19 years of age, Eala has her whole career ahead of her, with many now predicting big things for the youngster.

Her journey to the top 100 began long before her trip to Florida, however, competing in juniors for several years.

Eala has trained at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Manorca, Spain, since the age of 12, making her Grand Slam juniors debut three years later.

She became the first Filipino player to win a Grand Slam title when she won the Australian Open junior doubles tournament in 2020, doubling her tally when she took victory in Paris in 2021.

• 2020 Australian Open Junior doubles – Alexandra Eala/Priska Madelyn Nugroho beat Ziva Falkner/Matilda Mutavdzic, 6-1, 6-2
• 2021 French Open Junior doubles – Alexandra Eala/Oksana Selekhmeteva beat Maria Bondarenko/Amarissa Kiara Toth, 6-0, 7-5

Eala took her first singles crown at the US Open in 2022, taking down Czech youngster Lucie Havlickova in the final.

She has since won several titles on the ITF Tour but had struggled for form during the early stages of the 2025 season.

Eala will no doubt be pleased to have turned things around in Miami as she now looks forward to becoming a top 100 player on the WTA Tour for the first time.

The Filipino star is next scheduled to appear at the Bellinzona Ladies Open ITF event, where she’ll compete as the number one seed.

Fans will no doubt be eager to watch their new favorite return to action when Eala takes to the court in Switzerland on April 7.