MANILA — Alex Eala’s coach is full of pride after the Filipina teenager made history with her campaign in the 2025 Miami Open.
ala made headlines with her giant-killing ways in the WTA1000 tournament, defeating higher-ranked players en route to a place in the semifinals. She ousted world No. 25 Jelena Ostapenko, world No. 5 Madison Keys, and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek.
The 19-year-old came close to pulling off another upset in the semis before losing in three tightly-contested sets to world No. 4 Jessica Pegula.
“I told her that I’m very proud of her because what she did this week is so nice to see,” said coach Joan Bosch of the Rafa Nadal Academy.
Bosch had nothing but praise for Eala, noting how she elevated her level of play to compete against some of the sport’s biggest names.
He was particularly pleased with how she executed the variety of shots they have been working on for years.
“She went to the net a lot because she knew that she was moving super well. She was anticipating super well in all the balls. So, to cut time, Alex was smart. She used the drop shot, she used the approaches. So, she had to use many, many different plans at the same point,” he said.
In the match against Pegula, Coach Bosch noted: “‘I’m pretty happy with the first set. Even though she lost the first set, I think she played better the first set than the second. So, I’m happy with the way she played. She was 5-2 up. It’s true that she had the set point and maybe that, maybe she had a doubt or maybe, I don’t know. Sometimes happens, you know, in those moments. Maybe we knew that Pegula would be a very tough match.”
Bosch also commended her court movement and smart decision-making during matches, highlighting her ability to anticipate shots.
“Because she has different shots, different ways of hitting and, you know, it was more complicated. She didn’t give us anything, no mistakes, unforced errors,” Bosch explained.
“The ball was going super flat. We need to build every time, every point. We need to play unbelievably with every point. This is not easy for Alex and for anyone,” he added.
Aside from her technical skills, Bosch emphasized Eala’s exceptional fighting spirit.
“Well, the legs were hurting a bit every day, the next day more than the one before. Because she was a bit tired from the matches. But it’s nothing that she couldn’t manage. She was not 100% fresh, but it’s something that she’s used to play that way. And about why she fell, it’s because of what I said. Because she needs to not only attack, not only go to the net, she had to defend also.”
Looking ahead, the goal for Eala remains the same—continuous improvement in every aspect of her game.
Bosch aims to refine her speed, movement, serve, and overall approach as she develops further as a tennis star.
“She’s a young player considering WTA. So we were working on goals that we thought that if we can achieve then she will be competing there next five years. Some of these goals, they are not still done,” he said.
“Some of them, they are, but we still need to work on them. Some of them are new ones because now we will play with different players. So there are many.”
Up next, Eala is set to prepare for the clay court season, with plans to participate in the Madrid Open and enter the main draw of the French Open.
“I think my wish is to play something before that (Madrid). But we still need to sit and see, to check the body and everything. I want to see that ankle and talk to her how are the feelings, the motivation.”
“There are many things to fix. Maybe these balls, maybe this surface, maybe this weather, maybe this altitude. There are many things so we go day by day,” he said.
For Bosch, coaching Eala is a privilege, describing her as smart, organized, and incredibly determined. “It’s super nice to coach her,” he said. “She has something special on that and that’s why the academy trusts a lot on her.”
He also acknowledged the special support Eala receives from Filipinos worldwide, which serves as additional motivation for her.
“I’m happy people are expecting and people are supporting because it means Alex is doing well,” he said. “Hope we could do better, even better.”
Eala is taking a short break after her Miami Open run, spending time with her family and visiting a theme park in Florida. (D. Castellejo, abs-cbn)
