We are just in the third month of the 2025 season and guess what? Paula Badosa has now already been forced to give a walkover for the third time in a row in the ongoing Miami Open. Just a few weeks ago, she withdrew from her QF match in Merida as well due to injury, but she promised her fans, “I’ll give it my all to get back on the court as soon as possible“. But she failed to recover in time for the BNP Paris Open. Although she got back to her winning ways in Miami, Badosa was yet again forced to give a walkover to the Filipino star, Alexandra Eala in the R16.
Talking about her injury woes, Paula Badosa once revealed that doctors had informed her she’d be requiring cortisone injections in her back to continue playing. “For me, being able to play three or four more years would be amazing… So far, the injections are working. The pain is always there, but there were times I couldn’t even handle it,” said Badosa. She was seen in some serious pain in her previous match in Miami against Clara Tauson as well. The Spaniard sought medical attention while lying down on the court due to being unable to endure the pain.
Although she managed to get through that match on a winning note by defeating the Dane by 6-3,7-6(3) in the R32, the fortunes didn’t favor her in the R16. She failed to recover in time and hence, Alexandra Eala secured her spot in her first Hologic WTA Tour QF without hitting a ball on Monday. Eala has been in the limelight ever since beating the two Grand Slam champions, Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys in the previous rounds. Coming from a country with very little tennis pedigree, this 19-year-old is already accustomed to being a trailblazer for her nation.
In 2021, Eala became the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour match and then a year later, she won the junior Grand Slam crown at the US Open. Now, with her recent win over Madison Keys, she became the Filipino player in the Open Era to score a WTA Top 10 win since the ranking system came into existence in 1975. In fact, she’s now also the first player ranked outside the Top 100 to reach this far in a WTA 1000 even in 2025.
Paula Badosa has withdrawn from the Miami Open, which sends Alexandra Eala into the quarterfinals. #MiamiOpen
— wta (@WTA) March 24, 2025
What did she say after her impressive victory against Keys, though? “I don’t think I’ve had the time to process everything that’s happened.” She further added, “I’m so super proud of what I was able to accomplish, but it definitely fuels me more,” Eala said after her 6-4,6-2 win over the American in the R32. What are Eala’s future goals though?
Rafael Nadal heaps praise on Alexandra Eala for her incredible performances at the 2025 Miami Open
“My main goal is simply to be the best version of myself” – Alexandra Eala. This teenage sensation has a goal of doing well on the WTA Tour and winning the Slams to get better rankings. The Filipino started playing tennis at a very early age and had to even move further away from her home. She has been a student of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Monaco since her early tennis days. It wasn’t easy for her to make this big decision and get settled in a different country, but looking back now, she feels the Academy has played a major role in her success.
“The academy has been my home for the past seven years. Of course, my family should take credit for the foundation that they laid out before they sent me there. But of course, the academy was able to build on that foundation in such a way that I’m able to be where I am now,” Eala said.
The 19-year-old dubs Rafael Nadal her tennis idol. Speaking about the Spaniard, she once highlighted, “He is so grounded, and he has achieved more than anything I could dream of, and the fact that he is still so nice to everyone around here is very admirable from him.”
Alexandra Eala even paid tribute to Rafael Nadal after his retirement last year. She shared a post saying, “Thank you Rafa! You’ve influenced me in more ways than you know. You have set up unbelievable opportunities for me and countless other kids, and for that, I am so grateful.”
Recently, Nadal showcased his pride in Eala’s performance in Miami. After her win against Ostapenko in the R64, the Spanish maestro shared a post on social media, saying, “Congratulations Alex! What a great win for you and for [the Philippines].”
Nadal again applauded the youngster after her incredible win over the world number 5, Madison Keys in the next round through Instagram stories. Next up for Eala, will be world number 2, Iga Swiatek. Can the Filipino keep her winning run intact with a surprise victory against the Pole, or will Swiatek spoil her party in Miami?
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