The Philippines’ Alex Eala again stunned the tennis world in an upset win against five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek of Poland, 6-2, 7-5, at the Miami Open in Florida. 

Her feat against World No. 2 Swiatek intensified the buzz among sports fans locally and internationally, with some dubbing her as the new “giant killer” of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

“I could exclaim firmly that Alex’s performance up to this series is world-class. Unfathomable, relentless winners against elite players. Congratulations,” one of them wrote on Facebook. 

Another posted: “Her resiliency, nerves of steel, made it possible to win the game and beat the odds against a formidable player like Iga Swiatek. Alex [is] an absolute inspiration to many people in the world.”

Prior to her performance and her commitment to reach the top in world women’s tennis, Eala graduated high school in 2023 from the Rafa Nadal Academy led by former World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who also praised the alumna online. 

“We are extremely proud of you, Alex,” Nadal wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “What an incredible tournament! Let’s keep dreaming!”

Present in Eala’s box during her quarterfinals match was Toni Nadal, Rafa Nadal Academy coach and Nadal’s uncle.

Also showing their support online are fellow tennis players, including Australian Olympian Ellen Perez who holds a ranking of No. 17. 

During the post-match interviews against Swiatek, Eala described how she felt as being “on cloud-nine.”

“Thank you all so, so much for all the support. This week has been so unbelievable, so I hope you guys can make it more unbelievable in my next match,” Eala said. 

With her efforts to reach the semifinals, Eala earned a colossal jump in her WTA ranking from 140 to 75. 

The 19-year old tennis star has become the first Filipino woman to defeat three Grand Slam champions in the Open Era with her triumphs against Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Swiatek. 

According to the WTA, Eala’s performance has also “equalled the best result achieved by a wild card at the Miami Open since the tournament’s inception in 1985.”

Eala will face the winner between Emma Raducanu of Britain and World No. 4 Jessica Pegula of the United States in the semifinals on March 28.

Read more: Alex Eala pursues quest in Miami Open, faces World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in quarterfinals