First-round bye puts Alex Eala on path to potential Iga Swiatek rematch at Miami Open

Filipina tennis standout Alex Eala is on track for another showdown with world No. 3 Iga Swiatek at the Miami Open after earning a first-round bye in the tournament draw.

Eala is seeded No. 31 and is still awaiting her opponent in the Round of 64. But a win there will set the stage for a rematch against the Polish star a year after their maiden encounter during Eala's dream run in the 2025 edition of the same tournament. 

Eala, then ranked No. 140, stunned Swiatek with a 6-2, 7-5 victory in the 2025 Miami Open quarterfinals before bowing to Jessica Pegula in the semifinals to bow out. 

The run was memorable not only for Alex Eala but also for Philippine tennis, as it sparked her surge on the WTA Tour and lifted her to a career-high No. 29 earlier today.

Eala and Swiatek already had their second clash during the 2025 Madrid Open, where the Poland bet eked out a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 revenge victory.

Ahead of her Miami Open return, Eala saw action in the Indian Wells Open, where she defeated Coco Gauff in the Round of 32 but fell to Linda Noskova in the next round. 

—JMB, GMA Integrated News