Alexandra Eala is getting ready to contest her first match of the 2026 Miami Open.
The Filipina, who has become one of the most popular players on the WTA Tour, will play German competitor Laura Siegemund in the second round.
The tournament is a pivotal one for Eala as she is defending 390 WTA ranking points – following her incredible run to the semi-finals last year.
Who is your favorite Filipino star – Alex Eala or Manny Pacquiao?
Let us know why in the comments!
Eala’s fans are likely to turn out in full force in Miami, as they have done at multiple WTA events at the start of this year.
Ahead of the Miami Open, Eala expressed her surprise regarding the level of support she has received across the globe.
Alex Eala left ‘surprised’ by the level of support at the start of 2026
“It’s such a good thing to have and I’m super grateful,” Eala said of her support during an interview with The Times.
“I’m happy that [Filipinos] are being exposed to tennis. At the end of the day, it’s just a way for us to kind of bond and show pride in our culture.
“We’re very proud of where we come from. I haven’t seen that shared sense of pride in a lot of other communities, so I think that’s one of the things that makes us special.
“But yeah, of course, especially in the beginning of the year, it kind of stepped up a notch.
“It was a little surprising, definitely, because it’s hard to see yourself as that ‘famous’ when you have just been you for your whole life.
“But once you get past that, you learn to really enjoy it because the atmosphere is really different when there’s a full stadium.”
What is the best win of Alexandra Eala’s career so far? 🤔
Iga Swiatek in Miami, Clara Tauson at the US Open, Jasmine Paolini in Dubai, or a different match?
As mentioned previously, Eala faces Laura Siegemund in the Miami Open second round.
Siegemund represents a stern test for the 20-year-old; the German star has defeated the likes of Zheng Qinwen and Ekaterina Alexandrova during her long career.
However, Eala’s form has been excellent over the past month, and she will be confident of advancing.
If Eala does so, she will likely play Iga Swiatek in the third round: a rematch of last year’s blockbuster Miami Open quarter-final.
When Alex Eala defeated Iga Swiatek
Last year, Alex Eala defeated Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys on her way to the Miami Open quarter-finals, setting up a meeting with world number two Iga Swiatek.
Swiatek was the clear favourite against the 19-year-old Filipina. However, Eala clearly did not read the script and quickly imposed her will on the match.
Eala defeated Swiatek 6-2, 7-5, before losing to Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals.
After losing to Eala, Swiatek admitted she was surprised by some of the Filipina’s play.
“For sure I did not know she was going to play that flat,” Swiatek told reporters.
“But besides that she was really aggressive and she kept her focus and some of the shots were pretty out of nowhere but still I could see that she had intentions to go for it and to push and it worked for her today, for sure.”
Swiatek struggled during the contest, hitting 32 unforced errors. Eala, meanwhile, hit only 12.
