The magical Miami Open run has come to an end for 19-year-old Alex Eala, but not without a valiant effort.
The 2022 Asian Games double bronze medalist bowed out in the semifinals of the 2025 Miami Open women’s singles tournament after a hard-fought battle, falling 6(3)-7, 7-5, 3-6 to hometown favorite and world No. 4 Jessica Pegula on Friday (Philippine time) at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The decisive third set remained on serve for the first six games until Pegula secured a crucial break, giving her a 5-3 lead.
The American appeared poised to close out the match in the following game, racing to a 30-0 advantage. Still, Eala showed resilience, forcing a deuce and saving a match point.
Pegula, though, remained composed, winning the next two points to seal the victory in just under three hours.
Eala had been in control of the opening set, leading 5-2, before Pegula found her rhythm and raised her level. The American won three straight games to tie the set at 5-5. Both players then held serve, pushing the set to a tiebreak, where Pegula dominated with a 7-3 win.
In the second set, Eala faced adversity early on, requiring medical attention on her left ankle while trailing 1-2 after dropping her serve. But the setback only fueled her determination. She staged a spirited comeback, winning three consecutive games — including a crucial break of Pegula’s serve — to take a 4-3 lead.
Pegula fought back to level the set at 5-5, but Eala capitalized on her momentum, claiming the next two games to force a deciding third set.
Despite the loss, Eala is projected to break into the top 100 for the first time in her career, reaching a career-high world No. 75 ranking after an incredible run that saw her defeat three Grand Slam champions in succession.
The Filipino sensation stunned 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, 7-6(2), 7-5, in the Round of 64, followed by a dominant 6-4, 6-2 victory over reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys in the next round.
However, it was her quarterfinal triumph over former world No. 1 and current world No. 2 Iga Swiatek — where she delivered a sensational 6-2, 7-5 upset — that truly captured the world’s attention and set up her semifinal showdown with Pegula.
