Rafael Nadal Congratulates Academy Student Alexandra Eala : Becomes The First Women From Philippines To Defeat A Top-10 Opponent

Australian Open champion Madison Keys lost to Filipino wild card Alexandra Eala 6-4, 6-2 in the third round of the Miami Open on Sunday.

Alexandra Eala became the first Filipino woman to defeat a player ranked in the top ten

Since the ranking system’s introduction fifty years ago, Eala became the first Filipino woman to defeat a player ranked in the top ten, making this victory a historic milestone for the nation as well.

In Miami, where the 19-year-old has now defeated two Grand Slam champions, Eala’s incredible run was continued with the unexpected win over the American No. 5 seed. In the second round, Eala upset Jelena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion. 

I am just in disbelief

“I am just in disbelief,” Eala said. “I knew I could win from the start, but the chances were low given that she is a great player, but I think my belief and the trust I had in myself is what pushed me through.”

After the win, the teenager, who has been training at Rafael Nadal’s Mallorca academy since the age of 13, was filled with emotion. Nadal took note of the consequences for the former US Open junior champion as well as the little history of tennis in the archipelagic nation of about 115 million people.

“Congratulations Alex! What a great win for you and for [the Philippines],” Rafael Nadal wrote

“Congratulations Alex! What a great win for you and for [the Philippines],” Nadal wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Eala turned pro in March 2020, and since then, she has stacked up five ITF singles titles and three doubles titles. Her steady rise reached a milestone on January 27, 2025, when she climbed to a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 134—the highest ever for a Filipino.

Eala has been training since 2018 in Rafael Nadal Academy

Rafael Nadal established the prestigious Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, where Eala has been training since 2018.“It just brought a whole different level to my game,” the 19-year-old once said. “I don’t know where I would be without going there. It was such a huge turning point in my life, and I’m just super grateful.”

A significant coaching change was made by Eala for the 2025 campaign. Alexandro “Sandro” Viaene, another Rafa Nadal Academy instructor, was her preseason trainer. She endured a rigorous training block under Viaene’s encouragement.“The pre-season of Alex was very good. We were practicing for two weeks, with double tennis sessions and double fitness sessions—double fitness sessions and double tennis sessions—so the days were long, but we were very productive, and we are very happy,” he said.