Iga Swiatek of Poland meets Alexandra Eala of the Philippines after losing to her on Day 9 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 26, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP
World No. 2 Iga Swiatek suffered one of the biggest shocks of the 2025 WTA season after falling to 19-year-old Filipino wildcard Alex Eala in the quarter-finals of the Miami Open.
In a 6-2, 7-5 defeat that lasted just under an hour and 40 minutes, Swiatek was broken in eight of her 10 service games, unable to find a rhythm against an inspired opponent.
READ: Tennis: Alex Eala stuns Swiatek, advances to Miami Open semis
In her post-match press conference, the four-time Grand Slam champion was candid about the reasons behind the upset.
Giving credit where it’s due
Swiatek praised Eala’s fearless performance and pinpointed the young left-hander’s aggressive, flat game as a key factor.
“The fact that she was left-handed didn’t surprise me, but the truth is, she went all out,” Swiatek said. “She made those returns quite long, and it wasn’t easy to return those shots. Plus, she was very relaxed and went all out. She felt the rhythm was good, and that helped her.”
The Polish star admitted she was thrown off by Eala’s aggressive shot-making and relentless pressure.
READ: Tennis: After upset of Swiatek, Alex Eala poised to enter WTA Top 100
“I didn’t know she was going to play so flat, but she was very aggressive and stayed on target the whole match. A lot of these shots were coming out of nowhere. But I could still clearly see that she was trying to push forward and pressure me. So it worked out pretty well for her.”
Struggles to mount a comeback
Despite some improvement in the second set, Swiatek couldn’t shift the momentum.
“I was just happy to feel a little better,” she said. “But then again, I couldn’t sustain her game anyway… I thought I was kind of back on my feet and feeling the game a little bit better. But I didn’t really think about her.”
The turning point
When asked what ultimately made the difference, Swiatek identified Eala’s returns—and her own miscues.
“I think it was just a really good return, and I wasn’t ready for the next ball,” she reflected. “I’m sure I made a lot of mistakes, but I think I also made mistakes when I was crossing the ball.”
Looking ahead
Swiatek admitted her start to the 2025 season hasn’t gone as planned, but she remains optimistic with the clay court swing around the corner.
“I don’t want to think about it too much. It’s good to learn from defeats, but yes, there are other things ahead, and I’m happy we’re going to be playing on clay now. I don’t know what it will be like this year, but I’m definitely going to work hard to be ready for the first tournaments.”
READ: Up next for Alex Eala: World No. 4 Jessica Pegula
With clay being her favored surface, Swiatek will look to bounce back and reassert herself at the top of the women’s game. As for Eala, the historic win marks a breakthrough moment in her young career—and perhaps the beginning of something even bigger.
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