Alex Eala secured one of her greatest victories by beating Coco Gauff in Indian Wells.
Eala played some superb attacking tennis to lead Gauff 6-2, 2-0, when the American retired from the match due to an arm injury.
Eala has made a habit of winning against top 10 players, as demonstrated by past victories over Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys and Jasmine Paolini.
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?
We asked Tennishead readers on TalkingPoints to identify Eala’s greatest victory of her career to date.
Thank you for your contributions.
Tennishead readers believe Alex Eala’s victory over Iga Swiatek is the best of her career so far
Alex Eala broke through on the WTA Tour at the 2025 Miami Open, defeating Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek on her way to the semi-finals.
Matthew Johns, a regular contributor, has chosen Eala’s defeat of Swiatek as the best of the young Filipina’s career so far.
“I think I would have to go for her win over Swiatek in Miami,” he said. “That changed everything for Eala!”
Peter Lynch agreed with this sentiment, while George Patten also noted Eala’s superb win over Jasmine Paolini at the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships.
“Yeah, think the Swiatek win was her best, but beating Paolini is a real statement!” he said.
Another contributor offered the same opinion, before offering Eala some advice moving forward.
“The highest seed amongst the three mentioned, Iga Swiatek, would be Alex’s best win so far,” they said.
Eala’s 2025 Miami Open run…
| Round | Opponent | Score |
| Round of 128 | Katie Volynets | 6–3, 7–6 |
| Round of 64 | Jelena Ostapenko | 7-6, 7-5 |
| Round of 32 | Madison Keys | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Round of 16 | Paula Badosa | Walkover |
| Quarterfinal | Iga Świątek | 6–2, 7–5 |
| Semifinal | Jessica Pegula | 6–7, 7–5, 3–6 |
“But, again, to win titles, Alex MUST train even HARDER on her serves, strength, and stamina.
“She did great in Dubai, eventually to be moving her up to number 32. But to be in the Top 10, she must train even harder. Go, go, go, Alex!!!!”
However, not every contributor held the same opinion. One reader highlighted Eala’s victory over Clara Tauson at the 2025 US Open, and her win against Aliaksandra Sasnovich at the 2026 Dubai Tennis Championships.
Eala became the first Filipina in history to win a main draw match in a Grand Slam singles event with victory over Tauson last year.
In Dubai, Eala trailed Sasnovich 0-4 in the final set before producing a spirited comeback, eventually winning 2-6, 6-4, 7-6.
“Tauson or Sasnovich, it’s a toss-up,” the contributor said. “Coming back from 1–5 vs Tauson and 0–4 vs Sasnovich isn’t just tennis, it’s high-stakes cinema.
Those scores prove Eala is as much an entertainer as she is a fighter. Her grit is what makes her matches legendary.”
What did Eala say after beating Swiatek?
Eala’s victory was certainly spectacular. Despite securing victories over Madison Keys and Jelena Ostapenko, few could have expected the Filipina to knock out the world number two.
However, she did just that, beating Swiatek 6-2, 7-5 in front of a raucous Miami crowd.
After securing the victory, Eala was understandably flabbergasted, and she expressed this during her post-match speech.
“My mind is really blank, I don’t think I’ve processed what I’ve just done,” Eala told Sky Sports afterwards.
How high do you think Alexandra Eala’s ceiling is?
“In the end I’m still the same player I was two weeks ago.”
During her post-match press conference, Eala described how she felt before the contest.
She said: “Nerves, before and after, because you don’t really feel like it’s over. That’s why I said about the celebration, you don’t really think that the match is over, because you’re still thinking about the next point, what to do next.
“Yeah, everybody gets nervous. I’m sure someone as great as Iga gets nervous from time to time. All these big players get nervous. It’s a matter of how you deal with it and how, like I said, to compartmentalize, yeah.”
