What ‘brave’ Alex Eala had to say after reaching Miami Open round of 16 with next opponent confirmed
For the second year in a row, Alex Eala has reached the fourth round of the Miami Open and she believes her decision to be “brave” paid off during her victory over Magda Linette.
Eala famously made her breakthrough at the WTA 1000 event in Florida 12 months ago when she defeated the likes of Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek en route to the semi-final.
The Filipina found herself in the same section of the draw as Swiatek for the 2026 edition, but there was no rematch as the six-time Grand Slam winner suffered a shock second-round loss against fellow Pole Linette.
Facing giant killer Linette for the fourth time in her career, Eala beat the current world No 50 for the second time in 2026 as she won 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) to make it 2-2 in their head-to-head rivalry.
The Filipina broke late in the first set and took the momentum in the second set as she broke in the first game, but the Pole drew level in the sixth game and it went to the tie-breaker, which was dominated by the 20-year-old.
“I think I’ve matured a lot in the last year. I’ve been out in a lot of high-pressure moments, a lot of big stages, which I’m so grateful for and wouldn’t trade for the world,” Eala said during her on-court interview.
“Being back in the fourth round, it makes me feel the same as I did last year. I’m so happy. I’m so excited. It’s such a privilege to be back in Miami.”
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Later in the press conference, the world No 29 explained how her bravery paid off.
“I think I just told myself to be brave, do whatever I could,” she said. “I can’t control how she was playing. She, I think, upped her game in the second, so… I tried to go for my shots, and they were effective, luckily.”
Up next is a tougher assignment as she faces world No 14 Karolina Muchova, who defeated Katie Boulter in straight sets.
It will be their first-ever meeting and the 13th-seeded Muchova has been in good form in recent months as she won the Qatar Open in February.
“I’m really excited. I haven’t thought about it much,” Eala said. “She’s obviously a great player and is doing really well. A couple years back, I watched one of her finals. I was really impressed.
“To be put in a position to compete against her is a real privilege and going to be a test.”
