Toni Nadal’s kind words about Alex Eala after historic Miami Open run
There was high praise for Alex Eala from Toni Nadal following her incredible performances at the Miami Open as he admits he is not only impressed by her attitude on court, but also off court.
Eala first gave a glimpse of her prodigious talent during the 2022 season when she won the US Open Girls’ singles title, beating current world No 6 Mirra Andreeva en route to lifting the trophy.
The Filipino, who joined the Rafa Nadal Academy at the age of 12, was handed a wildcard for the WTA 1000 event in Miami and she made the most of the opportunity.
The 19-year-old upset 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the second round and followed it up with a stunning two-set win over reigning Australian Open winner Madison Keys in the third round.
After receiving a walkover win over Paola Badosa, she continued her giant-killing with a straight-set victory over five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek in the quarter-final.
Renowned coach Nadal, the uncle and former mentor of 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal, was in her players’ box at Stadium Court for her amazing win over Swiatek as he flew to Miami to watch the former Rafa Nadal Acadamy graduate in action on the WTA Tour.
Eala, who graduated from the academy in 2023, lost in the semi-final against Jessica Pegula but she is set to rise from No 140 in the WTA Rankings to No 75
Uncle Toni has spent a lot of time with Eala during her academy days and he believes there is more to come from the teenager.
“For the academy and for me in particular, it’s a huge success,” he is quoted as saying by Marca.
“She’s the girl who’s been with us the longest. In all this time, there’s never been a single complaint from anyone, neither from her nor from her family.
“She’s shown she has great potential because it’s not easy to beat the world’s No 2 and No 5 in the same tournament.
“Once she gets her game right, she could be among the best in the world.
“She stood up to Swiatek and didn’t back down. Only at one point, at 2-0 in the second set, was she a little hesitant and needed to be more aggressive with her serve.”
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Eala was next due to be in action at the WTA 125K La Bisbal event in Madrid, but she has withdrawn from the tournament as she is struggling with a left-thigh injury that she sustained during her run at the Miami Open.
Her next WTA Tour event remains unclear, but she will no doubt be first in line for a wildcard for the Madrid Open, which gets underway on 21 April.
