Alexandra Eala has spoken out after Toni Nadal made a surprise appearance at her quarter-final match in Miami. The teenage wildcard is a Rafa Nadal Academy graduate, and Nadal’s uncle and long-time coach was spotted in her box during her statement victory against Iga Swiatek on Wednesday.
The world No. 140 stunned the second seed, winning 6-2 7-5 to book her spot in a maiden WTA 1000 semi-final. Afterwards, Eala shared her delight at seeing Toni in her corner after receiving his support during her years at the academy.
Eala has emerged as the breakout star at this year’s Miami Open. Aged 19, she had only won two WTA Tour main draw matches coming into the tournament.
But she now finds herself into the semi-final after beating three Grand Slam champions in a row – Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and now Swiatek. Eala produced a stunning performance against the second seed on Wednesday, hitting 10 winners in the first set alone.
There was a familiar face in her box for the contest – Toni Nadal. The uncle of 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael, Toni spent decades coaching his nephew before stepping away at the end of 2017. He has also worked with Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Toni now spends his time at the Rafa Nadal Academy in their home of Manacor, Mallorca – where Eala previously trained and studied. And he showed his support for the academy graduate on Wednesday.
He wasn’t the only one who made the trip for Eala’s quarter-final – her parents and some other coaches from the academy were in the stadium to witness the biggest win of her career.
“A lot of my family did fly in. So my parents flew in last night, and my uncle and my cousin from Seattle also flew in,” the world No. 140 said after the match.
“So a lot of extra motivation for my match today. I really wanted to have them see me winning, but I know they’d be happy just to see me compete in this setting.
“And Toni also came in to Miami, although he had to catch a flight I think today. That did mean a lot, because I have been working closely with him for so long, alongside my main coaches from the academy.”
Toni’s visit came as a surprise, as Eala admitted “she didn’t know that he was going to come until this morning.”
Rafael Nadal has also shown his support for the 19-year-old after she stunned Swiatek in the quarters, tweeting: “We are extremely proud of you, Alex. What an incredible tournament! Let’s keep dreaming!”
Eala will now hope to keep her fairytale run going in the semi-final, where she faces either Emma Raducanu or Jessica Pegula.