Cover Alex Eala of the Philippines plays against Madison Keys of the United States in the third round on Day 6 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 23, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida (Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)
Alex Eala of the Philippines plays against Madison Keys of the United States in the third round on Day 6 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 23, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida (Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)
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Filipino tennis player Alex Eala stuns Madison Keys for historic Miami Open win
Alex Eala made history at the Miami Open, becoming the first Filipino to defeat a top-10 opponent by beating world No. 5 Madison Keys 6-4, 6-2 in the second round. It is the best win of her career to date.
The 19-year-old, ranked No. 134, played with composure against the Australian Open finalist, capitalising on early break exchanges before taking full control in the second set. Her aggressive baseline play and precise shot-making disrupted Keys, who had won 17 of her last 18 matches before the upset.
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Eala, a former US Open girls’ champion, had already secured her first top-30 win two days prior against world No. 25 Jelena Ostapenko. With this victory, she surpasses any previous milestone achieved by a Filipino singles player in the WTA rankings era.
Above Alex Eala of the Philippines against Madison Keys of the United States (Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)
Alex Eala of the Philippines against Madison Keys of the United States (Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images)
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“Growing up, it was tough…I hope this takes Filipino tennis to the next step,” Eala shared post-match on the court.
She now moves on to the third round, continuing her push toward breaking into the sport’s upper ranks and eyeing a spot in a Grand Slam main draw.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is the assistant digital editor of Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
