Iga Swiatek surprised by one major factor of Alexandra Eala’s game in her agonizing defeat at the Miami Open
Iga Swiatek was unable to adapt to the aggressive style and long returns of Alexandra Eala, losing in straight sets at the Miami Open.
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Iga Swiatek and Alexandra Eala (Image via CGTN Sports Scene)
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek recently faced defeat to wildcard Alexandra Eala in the 2025 Miami Open quarterfinals. This match was a highly anticipated one as Eala has been scripting history in Miami, having stunned two Grand Slam champions back-to-back before outplaying Swiatek.
The 19-year-old defeated Jelena Ostapenko in the Round of 64 and Madison Keys in the Round of 32. It also generated a great deal of excitement due to the fact that Swiatek was a guest at Eala’s graduation. A protege of the Rafa Nadal Academy, Eala graduated in 2023, and her graduation photograph with Swiatek and Rafael Nadal became immensely viral during her run at the Miami Open.
I didn’t know she was going to play so flat, but she was very aggressive and kept her focus throughout the match. And many of these shots seemed to come out of nowhere. But still, I could clearly see that she intended to go forward and pressure me. So, it worked quite well for her.
Iga Swiatek told the press
This defeat marked the third time that the Pole has ever been beaten by a player ranked outside the top 100 in the main draw of a WTA tournament. Swiatek was unable to adapt to Eala’s aggressive style and long returns, losing in straight sets.
That she was left-handed didn’t surprise me, but the truth is she went for it. She made those quite long returns, and it wasn’t easy to return those shots. Plus, she was very relaxed and went for it. She felt the good rhythm, and that helped her... I think she just returned very well, and I wasn’t prepared for the next ball. I definitely made too many mistakes, but I think I also made mistakes when I was hitting crosscourt.
Iga Swiatek added
Swiatek struggled with her range, producing an uncharacteristic 32 unforced errors in this match, striking 19 in the first set alone, while Eala hit just 12. Eala broke Swiatek 8 times out of 10 service games.
Alexandra Eala will face Paula Badosa in the finals
Alexandra Eala has reached the semifinals of the tournament without dropping a set en route, becoming the first Filipina in history to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal. With this impressive run, she has now cracked into the WTA top 100, becoming the highest-ranked Filipino tennis player.
Eala is also the third wildcard to secure a spot in the Miami Open semifinals since Justine Henin in 2010 and Victoria Azarenka in 2018. In the semifinals Eala will lock horns with fourth seed Jessica Pegula.
Iga Swiatek is looking forward to the clay season
The 5-time Grand Slam champion has had an inconsistent hardcourt season so far. Entering as the three-time defending champion, Swiatek failed to clinch the Qatar Open title. This tournament in Doha had generally been her bounce back after a disappointing Australian Open run. She also had complaints about the balls in the Middle East swing.
She also failed to defend her Indian Wells title. The 23-year-old posted a lengthy explanation on Instagram after the Indian Wells about her feelings going into the season and the challenges she’s faced, especially since the doping case.
During the Miami Open, she was also the victim of a disturbing harassment incident. Swiatek, who has been on a title drought since the 2024 Roland Garros, will now switch her attention to her favored clay courts.
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