Wild card Eala stuns Swiatek to reach Miami Open semis

Alexandra Eala produced one of the most remarkable displays of her history-making run at the Miami Open, after she downed Iga Swiatek in straight sets to reach the semi-finals.

Eala had already beaten Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys on her way to the last eight, but continued to defy the odds with a 6-2 7-5 victory over the 2022 Miami champion.

The 19-year-old is also the first player from the Philippines to reach a tour-level semi-final, and is now guaranteed to be ranked inside the WTA's top 100 from next week.

Swiatek started strong with an immediate break in the opening game, only for Eala to respond emphatically to race into a 3-1 lead in the first set.

Though Swiatek got to within one game of Eala, the teenager produced back-to-back love service games, before closing out the opener with another break.

She continued to rattle Swiatek in the second set by winning the first two games, only for her Polish opponent to roar back and take a 4-2 lead.

However, Eala was able to overturn the deficit and seal a stunning victory, after Swiatek sent a backhand on match point long.

She will face either Emma Raducanu or Jessica Pegula for a place in the final.

3 - Alexandra Eala has equalled the best result achieved by a wild card at the Miami Open since the tournament’s inception in 1985 (semi-finals made Justine Henin in 2010 and Victoria Azarenka in 2018). Dream.#MiamiOpen | @MiamiOpen @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/trRxIyKnm9
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) March 26, 2025

Data Debrief: Eala completes grand slam hat-trick

Heading into the Miami Open, Eala had won just two WTA matches, but she has now pulled off three victories against former grand slam champions during her dream run.

She has now equalled the best run achieved by a wild card in Miami since the tournament's inception in 1985 (semi-finals made by Justine Henin in 2010 and Victoria Azarenka in 2018).

Eala is also the second-youngest left-handed player to reach the semi-finals at the Miami Open, older only than Monica Seles (1990 and 1991).

For Swiatek, however, her wait for a place in a final continues. She has now gone 10 tournaments without reaching the showpiece match of a WTA competition since last year's French Open.