‘Let’s maintain dreaming!’: Rafael Nadal pens touching phrases for academy prodigy Alexandra Eala amid dream run in Miami

Amongst those that celebrated Eala’s win was none apart from the legendary Rafael Nadal, whose academy the 19-year-old is an alumnus of. Nadal’s uncle and former coach Toni Nadal was within the stands watching on as she beat Swiatek. “We’re extraordinarily pleased with you, Alex. What an unimaginable match! Let’s maintain dreaming!” mentioned the 22-time Grand Slam champion on X.

Nadal’s academy had additionally been extensively posting about Eala’s progress within the match on X.

The massive-hitting 19-year-old confirmed no indicators of being intimidated taking part in towards one in all her idols and was as a substitute an image of poise for a lot of the sport. Her demeanor broke solely proper on the finish, when she seemed relatively bewildered and shocked after taking the successful level and seemed nearly uncertain as she walked as much as the web to gree Swiatek.

“I do not know what to say, I imply, full simply disbelief proper now and I’m on cloud 9,” Eala mentioned in her on-court interview. “It is ceaselessly in my coronary heart.”

Up subsequent might be a match towards American fourth seed Jessica Pegula, who beat 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu of Britain. Eala, who’s ranked one hundred and fortieth on the earth has already put Phillipines on the map in tennis. She grew to become the third wild card to succeed in the Miami Open semifinals, following Justine Henin in 2010 and Victoria Azarenka in 2018.