Eala takes on German foe to kick off Miami Open campaign

Sports

ALEX Eala will be up against an opponent 18 years older than her to start her campaign in the 2026 Miami Open.

Earning a first-round bye, the 20-year-old Eala will take on Germany’s Laura Siegemund on Thursday, March 19. The time of the second-round duel is yet to be determined.

The 38-year-old Siegemund, currently 53rd in the WTA rankings, advanced to the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament after beating Croatian Petra Marcinko, 6-4, 6-4, in the first round.

Coming into the competition enjoying a new career-high ranking of No. 29, Eala is looking to duplicate her magical run in last year’s Miami Open.

The Filipina tennis star surged to top 100 when she completed a stirring run in the 2025 Miami Open that saw her defeat top notch players in Katie Volynets, Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek.

The unbelievable run ended when Eala lost to Jessica Pegula in the semifinal round.

Should Eala hurdle Siegemund, she will be figuring in a possible rematch against the Polish star Swiatek, who is currently ranked No. 3 in the world.

Swiatek will face Magda Linette in the Round of 32 with a win sending her to the next round against the Eala-Siegemund encounter.(CCM)