Alexandra Eala is set for a second encounter with World No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the second round of the Mutua Madrid Open, just a month after her sensational victory over Swiatek in the Miami quarterfinals. The Filipina wild card secured her spot in this rematch by defeating Viktoriya Tomova in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, in a match lasting 1 hour and 16 minutes on the opening day.
Eala`s remarkable journey to the Miami semifinals, where she also overcame players like Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys, propelled her into the Top 100 for the first time. She currently holds a career-best ranking of World No. 72. Her impressive 6-2, 7-5 win against Swiatek in Miami was a major surprise, notably being only the third time Swiatek had lost at the tour level to an opponent ranked outside the Top 100. With a sequel happening so soon, attention is naturally focused on this upcoming match.
Eala, who frequently emphasized `professionalism` as a key factor in her Miami success, has mentally moved past that achievement and is concentrating solely on the present challenge.
“Now that the dust has settled, I try not to think about Miami so much,” she stated after her win against Tomova. “Of course, it comes to mind personally when people ask, but I know I have my whole life ahead to reflect on those moments, and I`ll always cherish those memories. However, the tour continues, the competition goes on, so my complete focus is now on Madrid.”
The 19-year-old is competing in her second tournament since Miami. Last week, as the top seed in the Oeiras WTA 125 event, she was defeated in the second round by Panna Udvardy. However, she shook off that loss with a high-intensity, aggressive performance against Tomova. Eala hit 27 winners compared to her opponent`s seven and converted six out of nine break point opportunities, securing her first-round win in Madrid for the second consecutive year.
Defending champion Swiatek is also looking to improve her recent form as the 2025 clay court season ramps up. She was eliminated in the Stuttgart quarterfinals last week by eventual winner Jelena Ostapenko, marking her sixth loss to the Latvian in six meetings. Swiatek hasn`t reached a final since Roland Garros last year. Getting revenge for her Miami loss against Eala on her favored clay surface would be a crucial initial step for her campaign in Madrid.
Eala, for her part, doesn`t anticipate the same dynamics from their previous match.
“I definitely think that each match is a different story,” she remarked. “This holds true even when playing against the same opponent repeatedly. It doesn`t matter if I face her again next year in Miami or here in Madrid next year; it will always be a different narrative than the last one.”
Jasper Hawthorne 
Dominic Ashworth