History is not on Alexandra Eala’s side as she looks to defeat Karolina Muchova in the fourth round of the Miami Open.
Eala is 0-11 against Czech players on the WTA Tour, having tasted defeat against the likes of Linda Noskova and Tereza Valentova.
It’s an increasingly odd streak for Eala, but she has clearly been working on solving it during her practice sessions in Miami.
Eala has enlisted the help of another Czech star on the WTA Tour ahead of her match with Muchova in Miami.
Who Alexandra Eala has been practising with in Miami
Eala has been spotted working with Nikola Bartunkova at the Miami Open in between her matches at the Masters event.
Bartunkova is a hotly-tipped 20-year-old star who joined the top 100 after reaching the third round of the Australian Open this year.
How high do you think Alexandra Eala’s ceiling is?
More crucially, however, Bartunkova is Czech and has spent time with some of the biggest stars from her nation, particularly at the Billie Jean King Cup.
Eala practising with Bartunkova will not only help her acclimatise to a Czech style of play, but she could also receive some insights into Muchova’s style of play.
The Filipina’s bizarre streak against Czech stars is one of the more baffling records on the WTA Tour, so perhaps Eala has resorted to a left-field way to combat it.
Eala and Muchova are set to play their round four match at the Miami Open on 23 March, with the order of play yet to be confirmed.
Alexandra Eala’s incredible record at the Miami Open
Eala has only played the Miami Open on two occasions, but she has already notched up seven victories at the Florida event in her last two appearances.
The Filipina star did, however, make two previous appearances at the Masters events prior to her breakout in 2025.
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Eala was defeated by Madison Brengle in 2022 and Irina-Camelia Begu in 2023, both of which saw her fail to win a single set.
She had also fallen at the qualifying stage in 2021, losing to Viktória Hrunčáková in three sets in the opening round.
Nevertheless, the Miami Open has surely become one of Eala’s favourite tournaments on the calendar after her last two appearances.
