Chris Evert in awe of 19-year-old Alexandra Eala despite Miami Open sensation's SF exit

Modified Mar 28, 2025 10:11 GMT

Alexandra Eala (L) and Chris Evert (R) [Image Source:Getty Images]

Chris Evert recently expressed her admiration for 19-year-old Alexandra Eala despite her loss in the semifinals of the Miami Open. By reaching the final four, Eala became the first Filipino WTA semifinalist.

The teenager received a wild card entry into the main draw of the WTA 1000 event in Florida and started strong by defeating Katie Volynets 6-3, 7-6(3) in the first round. She then overcame Jelena Ostapenko 7-6(2), 7-5 in the second round and continued her impressive run by triumphing over fifth seed Madison Keys 6-4, 6-2, and Paula Badosa in the third and fourth rounds, respectively.

In the quarterfinals, Eala secured a 6-2, 7-5 victory over second seed Iga Swiatek to advance to the semifinals where she lost 6-7(3), 7-5, 3-6to fourth seed Jessica Pegula.

After the Filipino's remarkable performance at the 2025 Miami Open, 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert took to social media to laud her tennis prowess. Evert commended Eala's brilliant run at the campaign by highlighting her victories over three Grand Slam winners, Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek

"Incredible that Alex Eala still has anything left in her considering the teen has beaten 3 Grand Slam Champs.. 👍 👏 ," Evert posted on X.

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Before beginning her campaign at the 2025 Miami Open, Alexandra Eala competed at the Mumbai Open, a WTA 125 event, where she reached the second round before being defeated by Mai Hontama.

After defeating Alexandra Eala in Miami Open 2025 SF, Jessica Pegula will face Aryna Sabalenka in the final

Jessica Pegula during her match against Alexandra Eala at the Miami Open [Image Source: Getty Images]

Following her win over Alexandra Eala in the semifinals of the 2025 Miami Open, Jessica Pegula is set to go head-to-head with Aryna Sabalenka in the final of the tournament.

Pegula is seeded fourth at the WTA 1000 hard court event in Florida and she commenced her run in the second round following a first-round bye. She started strong by defeating American qualifier Bernarda Pera 6-4, 6-4 in the opening round.

The former World No.3 triumphed over 32nd seed Anna Kaliskaya 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-6(3) and 23rd seed Marta Kostyuk 6-2, 6-3 in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. Pegula then faced Emma Raducanu in the quarterfinals, securing a 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-2 victory to advance to the semifinals, where she defeated Alexandra Eala to secure her spot in the final against Sabalenka.

On the other hand, Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed at the 2025 Miami Open and she also began her campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. She defeated Viktoriya Tomova 6-3, 6-0, qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-1, 0-0 retd, and defending champion Danielle Collins 6-4, 6-4 in the second, third, and fourth rounds, respectively.

In the quarterfinals, Sabalenka overcame ninth seed Zheng Qinwen 6-2, 7-5, and then secured a 6-2, 6-2 win over sixth seed Jasmine Paolini in the semifinals to advance to the final.

Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka have faced each other eight times on the WTA Tour, with the World No.1 winning six of those matches. Their most recent encounter was in the final of the 2024 US Open which Sabalenka won 7-5, 7-5 and in turn secured her third Grand Slam title overall.

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Since joining Sportskeeda as a journalist in January 2023, Sreeja has remained steadfast in delivering thorough coverage of the tennis world. Her bachelor's degree in English has proven invaluable, with over 1000 articles already under her belt for the company.

While writing, Sreeja prioritizes reliability by sourcing information from credible outlets and presenting various perspectives to her readers. She regularly keeps track of updates by closely monitoring the official websites of WTA and ATP, as well as the social media profiles of prominent journalists.

Sreeja draws inspiration from Rafael Nadal's unparalleled dominance on clay courts and Steffi Graf's remarkable career trajectory, while also holding Novak Djokovic in high esteem. Her passion for tennis reaches its peak during the Australian Open and the French Open, particularly relishing the clay court matches.

When she is not collecting information about tennis, she fills her time with reading and playing darts while also keeping her finger on the pulse of pop culture.

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Edited by Neelabhra Roy