'Real work starts now'

' THE real work starts now.’

The euphoria over her magical run at the WTA 1000 Miami Open has barely subsided, yet Alex Eala is ready to buckle down to work and build on a run of good results that put her in position to make more history for Philippine tennis.

“I recognize that these two weeks have opened the door to so many opportunities for me, but along with those opportunities come a whole new set of obstacles I will have to navigate through,” Eala said in a post shared on her social media pages.

The 19-year-old Filipina reached new heights at the Miami Open, where she bundled out three seeded players - inlcuding two Top 5 players in Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys - to reach the semis of a WTA Tour event for the first time.

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Prior to that, she also defeated 25th seed Jelena Ostapenko and had a thrilling three-set battle against world No. 4 and tournament finalist Jessica Pegula in the semifinals which she lost.

“Wow, this year’s Miami Open has left me speechless and full of emotion — mostly pride and gratitude. I’m proud of myself for pushing through those tough moments, and I’m glad I was able to make a statement for the Philippines on one of the biggest stages in tennis.

PHOTO: Miami Open

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"Moreover, I’m thankful for all the positivity coming my way, and I pray that you all continue to send your support through both the highs and lows. Salamat sa lahat ng pagdadasal at magagandang mensahe,” she added.

Eala entered the competition as a wild card and exited as a Top 100 player with a ranking of No. 75, which should be enough to put her in the main draw of grand slams and other top-level WTA Tour tournaments.

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However, the teenager is under no illusion that it would be easy sailing from hereon, saying, quite succinctly, that 'the real work starts now. “

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