MANILA – Alex Eala’s remarkable campaign at the 2025 Miami Open came to an end on Friday morning (Manila time) after a hard-fought semifinal loss to world No. 4 Jessica Pegula of the United States.
The 19-year-old Filipina put up a tough fight but ultimately fell short, with Pegula securing a 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-3 victory at the Hard Rock Stadium to book her spot in the WTA 1000 final. The American will now face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who cruised past Italy’s Jasmine Paolini, 6-2, 6-2, in the other semifinal matchup.
Despite the loss, Eala’s historic run captured global attention, as she stunned several higher-ranked opponents on her way to the semis. She eliminated former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the second round and followed it up with a shocking upset over reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the third. A stroke of luck came in the quarterfinals when world No. 11 Paula Badosa of Spain withdrew due to a back injury, granting Eala a walkover.
However, it was in the last eight where Eala delivered her most impressive performance yet—dismantling world No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek in straight sets, 6-2, 7-5, to cement her place in the semifinals.
Though she fell short against Pegula, a seasoned competitor and former US Open finalist with seven WTA singles titles, Eala’s breakthrough performance marked a milestone for Philippine tennis. She becomes the first Filipino to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament and is now on the verge of breaking into the WTA Top 100, while also securing the biggest prize purse of her young career.
Eala’s Miami Open journey may have ended, but her inspiring run signals the rise of a new force in women’s tennis.
