Alex Eala has made headlines for her performances at the Miami Open this week, with the teenager establishing herself as the tournament’s breakout star. The Miami Open is one of the most prestigious non-Grand Slam tournaments on the WTA Tour and Eala has progressed to the last-16 already.

Eala is yet to feature in a Grand Slam main draw, having been beaten at the qualification stages of last year’s French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. However, the Filipina has given herself a fighting chance for the remaining 2025 Slams with her showings in Florida.

So far, the 19-year-old has defeated the likes of Katie Volynets, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko and reigning Australian Open winner Madison Keys to reach the round of 16. Her reward for making it that far is a clash against former Grand Slam semi-finalist Paula Badosa, with the winner progressing to the quarter-finals.

But who is the tennis star making waves in Miami? Eala has previously won five ITF singles titles, as well as three doubles titles. She reached a career-high of No.134 in January 2025 – a ranking that is likely to be boosted by her performance at the Miami Open.

She has also earned wildcard spots for the main draw of several big tournaments in the past, including the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Miami Open and the Madrid Open in both 2023 and 2024. Eala made a name for herself in the Spanish capital last year when she won her opening match of the competition.

What’s more, Eala is also a product of the Rafa Nadal Academy, which is based in the tennis icon’s native home of Mallorca. Reflecting on her time in the Academy, she said: “It came as a shock because I was young. I was 13 when we made that decision.

“My parents… sent my brother along with me, so I still had family close. It was definitely a big decision for me, for us. But as soon as I heard that, I jumped at the opportunity because I knew that I had to get out of the country eventually to improve.”

The 22-time Grand Slam winner even took to social media to congratulate Eala following her win over Ostapenko. He wrote on X: “Congratulations Alex! What a great win for you and for [Philippines flag emoji and clapping hand emoji]!”

Reacting to her own showings, Eala said after beating Keys: “I think every single player here has envisioned themselves as a successful tennis player. This is the goal, to do well on the WTA Tour, to win Slams, to get the rankings. I think this is a good step towards where I want to be.”