Alex Eala’s phenomenal rise in the tennis stratosphere is not accidental. Neither is it a case of someone who merely rode the wave of a lucky streak. 

The 19-year-old Filipina has done the groundwork from the junior ranks all the way to the pros, winning titles here and there, experiencing losses and disappointments, carrying proudly the Philippine flag.  Each step in the journey was geared towards getting better. Every defeat added fuel to ignite her drive. Each triumph along the way served as building blocks to the overall goal of becoming a force at the highest levels of the sport.  Here is a rundown of Eala’s best results before her improbable run in the 2025 Miami Open: Les Petits As  Tarbes, France; January 2018 A 12-year-old Eala received a wild card slot to what is largely considered the most prestigious under-14 tournament in the world. Previous winners of the Les Petits As Le Mondial Lacoste include former world No. 1 players Rafael Nadal, Martina Hingis, Kim Clisters, and Juan Carlos Ferrero. Grand Slam champions Michael Chang and Jelena Ostapenko had also won the event.  In a field that included current world No. 14 Diana Shnaider and No. 98 Erika Andreeva of Russia and former No. 49 Linda Fruhvirtová of the Czech Republic, the unseeded Eala won five matches to book a finals spot against Czech Republic’s Linda Noskova, who now is 32nd in the world.  Eala prevailed in three sets to bag the title and catch the attention of the Rafa Nadal Academy, who subsequently offered her a scholarship to train in Spain.