How Rafael Nadal academy students have taken Miami Open open by storm with upsets over Ben Shelton, Daniil Medvedev and Jelena Ostapenko

There’s a Rafael Nadal connection between Alexandra Eala, Jaume Munar and Coleman Wong, all of whom have taken the 2025 Miami Open by storm. All three attended the Mallorca academy run by the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

Wins over Jelena Ostapenko, Ben Shelton, and Daniil Medvedev, all in the third round at the combined WTA 1000 and ATP Masters 1000 event, then made it a big week for the Spaniard as well.

Here, we take a quick look at just how these three Rafa Nadal Academy trainees have put together their respective runs in Miami.

Alexandra Eala

Alexandra Eala has been the face of the Philippines in tennis circles ever since her juniors triumph at the US Open back in 2022. It was the first time that a player from her country had lifted a Grand Slam trophy at any level.

The Quezon City native was a student of the Rafael Nadal Academy then and is a student now. In fact, she enrolled at the facility at the young age of 12. A prodigy in her own right, she has taken some time to really break through on the big stage, but the reward is sweet nonetheless.

Eala came into the Miami Open this year with no real momentum. A semifinal showing in Canberra at the start of the year was offset by early exits at multiple events since. That said, a wildcard here seems to have given her just the chance to come into her own.

The 19-year-old has beaten two very different opponents in the form of the dogged Katie Volynets and the big-hitting Jelena Ostapenko. A former Grand Slam champion and the 25th seed, Ostapenko was expected to breeze past the teengaer but Eala brought out her own best first-strike tennis to match her opponent's firepower. She closed out the biggest of her career by far, earning kudos from Nadal on the way.

“Congratulations Alex! What a great win for you and the Philippines,” Rafael Nadal wrote in a social media post.

Eala, who showed mental resolve reminiscent of Nadal himself when behind in the scoreline, has always been quick to acknowledge the Spaniard's role in her success. She said in a 2023 interview with Olympics.com giving an insight into her admiration for the legend as well as their relationship:

“[Rafael Nadal] loves the work, you can tell,” she said. “He really loves to coach. And he's very intense when he coaches, of course. He's someone with so much knowledge and so much experience on the tour so I've learned a lot from him.”

“[I admire] his focus and his mental composure,” she said about Nadal. “How he's able to fight so much during the tough points but able to keep his cool when he's down and stay motivated during the matches.”

Focus and composure is exactly what Eala will need in her next match as she faces reigning Australian Open champ Madison Keys for a spot in the fourth round.

Coleman Wong

For Coleman Wang, the journey to the Rafael Nadal Academy was a long one. But he never had a doubt in mind that it was where he wanted to be.

The lack of proper training facilities needed for top-rung players back home in Hong Kong, Wang convinced his parents to send him to Mallorca. Even when it meant that he would see them only once every few months.

“They didn't have any picture of it, and they let me go,” Coleman Wong said of his parents via ATP Tour. “I really, I really need to thank them as well. It's a big sacrifice, because I don't see them at all. I probably see them a few times a year.”

The results in Miami then are the fruit of his labor. Wong came into Miami with not many wins as he had been competing at the higher level for the first time in his career. Something, however, has clicked this week.

He had an easy outing against Daniel Altmaier but was pushed to the limits against Ben Shelton. The youngster absorbed the pressure well, braving not only big serving (Shelton had 17 aces), but also some tight situations to eke out a memorable 7-6(3), 2-6, 7-6(5) win.

The fact that the won two tiebreakers against a big server and a much-more experienced opponent goes to show his mental resolve, something that might come in handy again when he plays fellow breakthrough star Adam Walton next.

Jaume Munar

Unlike Alex Eala and Coleman Wong, the move to the Rafael Nadal Academy was an easy one for Jaume Munar. In fact, it was obvious that the Spaniard, born just a few miles from the facility, would land in one of the academy courses sooner than later.

Munar has been around the Tour for a few years now, making a splash every now and then. He very nearly captured the French Open trophy in juniors, has made a Tour-level final at the 2021 Andalucía Open and beaten top-10 names. Inconsistency, however, has kept him from breaking through big time.

Munar’s win over Daniil Medvedev at the Miami Open second round has once again put him within touching distance of a top-50 debut. While his opponent was hampered by injury, one has to give credit where it’s due. The Spaniard was clinical on the day, saving all the break points that he faced while breaking his opponent thrice to secure a straight-sets win.

At 27, Munar is once again playing some of his best tennis. A win over Gael Monfils in the third round would put him at No. 50 in the live rankings. And there’s only one way ahead after that.

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Edited by Tushar Bahl