By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_now | Monday, March 24, 2025
Photo Credit: Alexandra Eala Instagram/Rafa Nadal Academy Facebook
Five -time Rafael Nadal Never won Miami Open.
Rafa Nadal Academy has emerged as a winner of a big week in this Miami Open.
FIGHTER FIGHTER: Ela shakes the keys in Miami
Nadal students have been busy with rewriting history at Hard Rock Stadium.
Nineteen -year -old wild card Alexandra Eala and 20-year-old Coleman Wong, Both long -term students of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca scored stunning victories over powerful American seeds.
Wild Card Eala rocked Australian Open Champion Madison Keys 6-4, 6-2 making history as the first Philippine woman to defeat a great Slam champion in the history of the open era in Miami Open.
Energetic Eala is the first Philippine to defeat a 10 best player in a seismic and historic win for the Philippine tennis. Eala joins Naomi Osaka and Zheng Qinwen as the third Asian teenager who defeated a large Slam champion last decade.
Eala, who plays with a rocket babolas and wears Nike dresses like her tennis hero Nadal, exploded with a “vamos!” Ectermination! After marking the biggest victory of her career.
She then said the festive roar was a tribute to her roots.
Eala, who moved to the Academy at the age of 13 with her brother, Miko, told Nadal “We are good friends” and credited the Rafa Nadal Academy with a “astronomical” influence on her game and her career and building on the foundation of the firm, parents and grandparents located in the Philippines.
“The Academy has been my home for the past seven years. Of course, my family should get credit for the foundation they laid before sending me there,” Eal said. “But of course, the Academy was able to build that foundation so that I would be able to be where I am now.
“And I think the combination of everything I went through since I started tennis is what has led to the moment and what has led me to have all these opportunities.”
Nr. 182 and locals Hong Kong Wong shocked Bent Shelton 13th and the pro-Shelton crowd 7-6 (3), 2-6, 7-6 (5) to become the lower-ranking man to reach the Miami round of 32 in a decade.
“That’s for you, Hong Kong,” Wong said after his massive concern.
There are many efforts after these victories. We are very proud of you, Coleman!A historical victory for Hong Kong https://t.co/3xtljkiy0p
– Rafa nadal (@rafaelnadal) March 22 2025
“There are many efforts after these victories. We are very proud of you, Coleman!” Academy Rafa Nadal posted on social media. “A historic victory for Hong Kong.”
Eala and Wong are good friends and strong supporters of each other. Eala said Wong inspires her game, but they are not meeting, wild cardboard told Miami.
“You know, I’m super happy for her and see someone I have known so much time, it’s so good it’s definitely an inspiration,” Eala said. “Not only for me, but I feel generally a lot of people can get inspiration from him.”
In addition to the excellent plays of Eala and Wong break, the other benefits trained at the Nadal Academy have also made their mark. Nr. 5-seeded Casper Ruudwho is trained with Nadal at the Academy himself, faces Francisco Cerundolo in the 32nd round.
56th Rangut Spaniard Dwarf pushed Gael Montfils into a third tiebreaker set before bending in a pulsating match 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (1).
It is all happening on the eighth anniversary of Nadal’s candidacy in the Miami Open 2017 final when the tour was played at his previous home in Crandon Park, Key Biscayne.
Nadal crashed Fabio fognini 6-1, 7-5 to reach that fifth final of Miami Open.
More: Federer stops Nadal in Miami Open Final
In the 37th installment of the famous rivalry Roger v. Rafa, Roger Federer Nadal disconnected for the fourth direct time, 6-3, 6-4, winning his first Miami Open title in 11 years and finishing Sunshine Double-catching Indian wells and Key biscayne in the third time.
