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Teenage sensation Alexandra Eala kicked off her run at the 2025 Madrid Open with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 win over Viktoriya Tomova on Tuesday, April 22. Her second-round opponent is defending champion Iga Swiatek, whom she beat en route to the semifinals of the Miami Open.
Fans are excited for a rematch so soon after Eala caused a massive upset in Miami. However, the young Filipina isn't resting on her laurels or getting complacent. Speaking to the press following her win over Tomova, she said that her performance in Miami, while memorable, was already in the rearview mirror and she's only focused on Madrid at the moment.
"Now that the dust has settled, I try not to think about Miami so much. Personally, of course it comes to mind when everyone’s asking -- but in my mind, I have my whole life to look back at those moments and I'll always have those memories. But the tour goes on, competition goes on, so right now I'm fully focused on Madrid," Eala said.
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Coming to the rematch with Swiatek, Eala said that she's not expecting it to play out similarly. Every match, even against the same player, or at the same place, or a different venue, is a new chapter for both players.
"I definitely think that each match is a different story. Even if it's against the same player every time -- doesn't matter if I play her at the same time next year in Miami or in Madrid next year, it's going to be a different story than the last one," Eala said.
Eala has already matched her career-best result in Madrid by reaching the second round. She failed to clear the first hurdle on her debut in 2023. She scored her first win in Madrid by beating Lesia Tsurenko in the first round last year. She then lost to Sorana Cirstea in the second round. She now has a chance to better her previous result at the venue.
Alexandra Eala looking to upstage Iga Swiatek once again
With a 90-12 career record on clay, Iga Swiatek has established herself as the player to beat on the surface. She has won 10 of the 23 tournaments on clay that she has entered in her career. Four of those 10 titles have come at the French Open, while the other four at the WTA 1000 level.
Alexandra Eala has her task cut out for her. Getting the better of Swiatek on hardcourts, while difficult, was still in the realm of possibility. However, not many have been able to do so on clay. The teenager played some fearless tennis to beat the Pole 6-2, 7-5 in Miami, converting eight of the 10 break-point opportunities that she had.
Eala will need to play even better than she did in Miami if she intends to take down Swiatek at the Madrid Open. She could run into 31st seed Linda Noskova in the third round if she manages to upset the Pole once again.
