Rafael Nadal sends 3-word message to Miami Open giant slayer after Iga Swiatek's exit
03/26/2025 09:29 PM
Every once in a while in tennis, you get a result that absolutely nobody saw coming. That’s exactly what has happened this week at the Miami Open, where 19-year-old wild card Alexandra Eala has made a stunning run to the semifinals, catching the attention of Rafael Nadal in the process.
On Wednesday, Eala put on her most impressive performance yet. The World No. 140 came into the quarterfinals against No. 2 seed Iga Swiatek as a massive underdog, but the Filipina comfortably knocked off the five-time grand slam champion in straight sets, 6-2 7-5.
After the match, Nadal sent a brief message to Eala on his Instagram story.
“Let’s keep dreaming!” Nadal wrote.
It’s great to see the 22-time grand slam champion supporting one of his young proteges. Eala spent much of her childhood training at the Rafa Nadal Academy, and graduated in the summer of 2023, ironically taking a picture next to both Nadal and Swiatek on her graduation day.
In 2023 Alexandra Eala graduated from The Rafa Nadal Academy and had her picture taken next to Rafa and Iga.
2 years later she's playing Iga Swiatek at the Miami Open in the biggest match of her life.
Love this. pic.twitter.com/F18uosWr3Z
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) March 26, 2025
Eala is definitely feeling the support of Rafael Nadal and his academy during this run. Nadal’s uncle and longtime coach, Toni Nadal, was spotted in her coaching box on Wednesday to help het get the win.
Even under the tutelage of “Uncle Toni,” as he is often called, nobody would have ever seen this upset coming. Swiatek is one of the most upset-proof players on the WTA Tour and consistently makes it deep into tournaments. She had not lost to a player outside of the top 100 in the world since 2021, also in Miami.
Swiatek also served for the second set at 5-4, so it took a remarkable effort from Eala to come back and get the win in straight sets.
Eala’s run this week also set multiple records for people from her country. She became the first Filipina to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 tournament, the first to defeat a top 10 player, and the first to defeat a former grand slam champion. Not only that, but she knocked off three former grand slam champions (Jelena Ostapenko in the second round, Madison Keys in the third round and Swiatek in the quarterfinals) and two top 10 players (Keys and Swiatek).
This run is a massive milestone in the 19-year-old’s career. She started the week as the N0. 140-ranked player in the world, meaning that she struggles to qualify for many big events on the main tour. She needed a wild card from the tournament to get into the main draw in Miami.
Now, she will be No. 75 in the world if she loses in the semifinals, which should get her automatic entry into the grand slams and some of the WTA 1000 events. If she manages to make the final, she will move up to No. 51 in the live rankings and would be No. 34 with the title. She will play either Emma Raducanu or No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula in the next round.
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