On clay, Iga Swiatek answers the Alex Eala challenge

Tennis – Madrid Open – Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain – April 24, 2025 Philippines’ Alexandra Eala and Poland’s Iga Swiatek in action during their round of 64 match. REUTERS/Juan Medina

MADRID– This time, Iga Swiatek had the answers against teenage sensation Alex Eala.

After a quarterfinal loss to the rising star from the Philippines last month in Miami, Swiatek rallied to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory in the second round of the Madrid Open on Thursday.

READ: Alex Eala falls to Iga Swiatek in three sets at Madrid Open

The second-ranked Swiatek, who is the defending Madrid champion, is trying to reach her first final of the season.

“On clay I feel like I have a little bit more advantage sometimes in the situations, where Alexandra could take more advantage on faster hard courts,” the four-time French Open champion said. “I understand that there’s hype about these young players, but you got to be focused on yourself.”

The 19-year-old Eala, a product of Rafael Nadal’s academy, defeated Swiatek in straight sets during her breakthrough run in Miami.

Tennis – Madrid Open – Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain – April 24, 2025 Poland’s Iga Swiatek reacts during her round of 64 match against Philippines’ Alexandra Eala REUTERS/Juan Medina

Eala broke Swiatek’s serve early and cruised to victory in the first set at the Caja Magica center court, but the former No. 1 regained her control for the rest of the match, taking advantage of a letdown by her young opponent.

READ: Alex Eala stays focused despite more attention on her

“From the beginning I didn’t play smoothly, but I managed to solve some problems,” said the 23-year-old Swiatek, who was a set and a break down before rallying to victory.

Swiatek has made three semifinal appearances this year, including at the Australian Open and in Indian Wells. She lost her second match in Stuttgart last week, falling against Jelena Ostapenko in three sets.

Before beating Swiatek in Miami, the left-handed Eala had also defeated two other Grand Slam winners — Ostapenko and Madison Keys. Her run ended in the semifinals after a loss to Jessica Pegula.

The last-four appearance in Miami allowed Eala to become the first Filipina to be ranked inside the top 100. She is currently the No. 72.