Alexandra Eala is searching for another strong performance at the WTA 1000 level, having impressed in Miami recently.
Filipino star Eala reached the Miami Open semi-finals last month, beating three former Grand Slam champions on her way to the last four in the Sunshine State.
Eala then lost to Jessica Pegula in three sets, as her dream run came to an end, 6-7, 7-5, 3-6.
Returning to action in Madrid, Eala won her opening match against Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova, 6-3, 6-2.
Ahead of her second-round match with Iga Swiatek, Eala’s coach has revealed what worried her during her first outing in Madrid.
Alexandra Eala was worried after seeing Iga Swiatek’s coach Wim Fissette watch her opening match in Madrid
Following Eala’s win over Tomova, her coach Joan Bosch, shared what his counterpart did during the match that left the 19-year-old worried.
“I have to say that her coach was watching Alex’s match today,” he said.
“Alex was a little worried, saying, ‘He came to watch me play.’ I told her not to worry, that I had seen a lot more of Iga’s games than he had of hers, right?”
“So it’s going to be a good game, we’re going to enjoy it, and see if we’re lucky and can have a good game to start with.”
Eala beat Swiatek in straight sets at the Miami Open, 6-2, 7-5, advancing to her first-career WTA 1000 semi-final.
Bosch is looking forward to the pair’s second career meeting at the Madrid Open, but admits the change in surface could favor the world number two.
“It’s true that here we have to keep in mind that it’s going to cost us a little more because it’s on clay,” he said.
“But Alex [Eala] is a player who is learning, she’s learning to play on clay better, and it’s true that she played very well in her last match, and everything adds up, right?
“Everything that’s positive for us, we’re going to take advantage of.
“It’s a match where we’re under no pressure, we know we’re not the favorites.
“We’re going to play our match. Let’s hope we have a good match because if not, it’s going to be complicated.”
Alexandra Eala’s coach reveals what he told her before each match at the 2025 Miami Open
Eala’s breakthrough at the 2025 Miami Open won’t soon be forgotten, as the teenager took down some of the sport’s best players on her way to the semi-finals.
- 2025 Miami Open SF – Alexandra Eala lost to Jessica Pegula (2024 US Open finalist)
- 2025 Miami Open QF – Alexandra Eala beat Iga Swiatek (Five-time Grand Slam champion)
- 2025 Miami Open 4R – Alexandra Eala advanced via walkover
- 2025 Miami Open 3R – Alexandra Eala beat Madison Keys (2025 Australian Open champion)
- 2025 Miami Open 2R – Alexandra Eala beat Jelena Ostapenko (2017 French Open champion)
- 2025 Miami Open 1R – Alexandra Eala beat Katie Volynets
Her third-round win over 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys was one of the biggest upsets of the year, handing the American just her third defeat of the season.
Eala’s coach Bosch, now reveals what was said between them before they traveled to Miami.
“Our objective was to win the first match. That was the first thing, right,” said Bosch.
“Aside from that, I remember at the Madrid airport before leaving on the trip, I was reading [to Alexandra Eala] who she would want to play and who she wouldn’t.
“Half of them were yes, half of them were no.”
Bosch then explained how the pair approached each match at the Miami Open, as Eala made her way through to the last four.
“When we won the first match, I said, ‘Well, if we lose to [Jelena] Ostapenko, in a way it’s normal,’ he said.
“When we beat Ostapenko, we said the same about Madison Keys, ‘If we lose to Keys in a way it’s normal’, same thing before Paula Badosa unfortunately withdrew, which would’ve been a very nice match to play, obviously she was the favorite.
“With [Iga] Swiatek, it was the same. There was nothing to lose, the most normal thing is that we lose, but that also made us maybe feel less fear and more desire to play a good match.”
Approaching each match as the underdog helped Eala throughout, even if she did come up just short against Pegula in the semi-finals.
“In the last match, the truth is that we were very close, but we didn’t feel, at least I haven’t felt the pressure,” said Bosch.
Bosch will hope that attitude serves Eala well when she takes on Swiatek in the second round of the Madrid Open on Friday, April 25.
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