MANILA — Riding the momentum of a historic Miami Open run, Alex Eala is set to begin her clay court season as the top seed at the 2025 Oeiras Ladies Open, taking place from April 14 to 20 in Portugal.
Fresh off her career-best performance in Miami — where she stunned three Grand Slam champions and reached the semifinals as a wild card — Eala enters the WTA 125 event as the No. 1 seed for the first time in her professional career.
She also recently achieved a career-high WTA world ranking of No. 73.
The 19-year-old Filipina sensation pulled off headline-grabbing wins over Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys before falling in a hard-fought three-set semifinal against Jessica Pegula.
“There’s definitely pressure because I was able to do well, but that’s also a good sign,” said Eala during a virtual press conference on Tuesday. “This is something new for me — being in the top 100, being one of the seeded players — so I’m working on being able to consistently maintain this level.”
After Oeiras, Eala will head to Spain for the prestigious WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open starting April 22, followed by another WTA 125 event in Vic. Her clay season continues into May with two more stops in Italy — the WTA 1000 in Rome and the WTA 125 in Parma, scheduled for May 6 and 12, respectively.
A product of the Rafa Nadal Academy, Eala is now turning heads on the global stage as she gears up for a packed European swing, aiming to solidify her place among the rising stars of women’s tennis.
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