Alex Eala returns to Miami Open as No. 32 seed

MANILA, Philippines — Tennis sensation Alex Eala of the Philippines will return to the tournament that changed the trajectory of her pro tennis career — the Miami Open.

The 20-year-old Filipina, who reached the semifinal round last year, will enter the 2026 Miami Open as the No. 32 seed.

In WTA 1000 tournaments, the top 32 ranked players receive a bye in the first round. This assures Eala that she will not face top-ranked players like Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, or Coco Gauff until at least the third round of the tournament.

During her 2025 Miami Open, Eala defied the odds to reach the semifinals.

She opened the tournament by beating Katie Volynets in the first round before scoring victories against Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, World No. 5 Madison Keys of USA and Paula Badosa of Spain to reach the round of 8.

In a breakthrough quarterfinals win, Eala swept world No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland and won the hearts of tennis fans.

Her fairy-tale run finally came to an end in the semifinals, where she fell to Jessica Pegula after a grueling 2.5-hour battle. Despite the setback, Eala earned more following.

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