FILIPINA tennis star Alex Eala kicked off her 2026 Miami Open campaign with a thrilling win over Germany’s Laura Siegemund in a match that lasted more than three hours.
Citing a report from Tennis365, the world No. 29 Eala beat the 53rd-ranked Siegemund, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-3, on Stadium Court at the Hard Rock Stadium early Friday morning, March 20, Philippine time.
Eala lost the first set in a tiebreak after leading 3-0 and having four set points, but she came back strong in the next two sets. She broke the 38-year-old German twice in both the second and third sets to seal the victory.
There was a brief tense moment in the second set. With Eala serving at 2-1, Siegemund walked to the back of the court after Eala’s ball toss was off. Siegemund seemed to complain to the umpire, and Eala later told the chair umpire she felt Siegemund was taking too long between points.
The win adds to Eala’s impressive run this year. She recently reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 29 after making the Round of 16 at the Indian Wells Open.
Next, Eala will face Poland’s Magda Linette, ranked No. 50, in the Round of 32. Linette pulled off a big win against world No. 3 Iga Świątek, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Other first-round winners at the Miami Open included Camila Osorio, Anna Blinkova, Elsa Jacquemot, and Americans McCartney Kessler and Alycia Parks.
Eala has had notable performances in past tournaments. At the 2025 Miami Open, she defeated Swiatek in the quarterfinals before losing to American Jessica Pegula. She also competed at the Indian Wells Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships earlier this year, gaining valuable experience against top-ranked players. / LBG with PNA