Alex Eala continued her impressive run in the 2026 Miami Open after defeating Poland’s Magda Linette, 6-3, 7-6(2), in the Round of 32 on Sunday (Philippine time) to book a spot in the fourth round.
The 20-year-old Filipina delivered a composed and aggressive performance at the Grandstand court, dominating the opening set in just 40 minutes behind solid groundstrokes and sharp returns. She secured an early break and capitalized on Linette’s errors to take the set, 6-3.
Eala carried her momentum into the second set, breaking Linette early to go up 2-0 and extending her lead to 3-1. However, the Polish veteran mounted a comeback, overturning the deficit to lead 4-3. The two players exchanged games in a tightly contested stretch, eventually forcing a 6-6 deadlock.
In the tiebreak, Eala raised her level, surging to a 3-1 lead and maintaining control despite Linette saving a match point. The Filipina ultimately closed out the match after one hour and 48 minutes.
“Magda is such a fighter. She always puts me in difficult positions… I really enjoyed the battle,” Eala said after the match. She added that her aggressive approach and strong support system have helped elevate her game.
With the victory, Eala advanced to the Round of 16, where she will face Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova, the world No. 14 and 13th seed. It will be their first meeting on the WTA Tour.
Eala’s latest triumph also boosted her standing in the WTA live rankings, climbing from No. 48 to No. 44 with 1,255 total points. Currently ranked No. 29 officially, she is looking to regain the full 390 points she earned from her semifinal finish in Miami last year, needing two more wins to do so.
In addition, Eala has already secured $105,720 (around P6.36 million) in prize money for reaching the fourth round. A victory over Muchova would guarantee her a higher payout of $193,645 (approximately P11.65 million).
Reflecting on her rapid rise from No. 140 a year ago, Eala credited her growth to experience in high-pressure situations.
“I think I’ve matured a lot in the past year… It’s such a privilege to be back in Miami,” she said.
