Alexandra Eala and Jakub Mensik make unexpected semifinal spots in Miami

Alexandra Eala (Philippine Sports Commission, Wikimedia Commons)

The 2025 Miami Open is down to the semifinals, and there was one unseeded man and one unseeded woman in the final four. The fact that the 140th ranked Alexandra Eala of the Philippines reached the semifinals of a Masters 1000 series event, and that the 54th ranked Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic, the reigning ATP Newcomer of the Year, is in the semifinals, are special stories indeed.

Eala made the semifinals when she has not played a single grand slam singles match. In fact, she had only won one WTA 1000 series match. That came in Madrid last year when Eala beat Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

What we saw from Eala in south Florida was amazing indeed. She beat three seeded players who were major champions. In the second round, Eala beat 2017 French Open champion and the 25th seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 7-6, 7-5. In the third round, Eala stunned the fifth seed and 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys of the United States 6-4, 6-2. Then in the biggest upset of all, Eala beat five-time major champion Iga Swiatek of Poland when Swiatek was a -2000 moneyline favourite, 6-2, 7-5 in the semifinals.

Eala broke Ostapenko five times, and had two fewer double faults (three versus five). Eala broke Keys six times and had three fewer double faults (one versus four), and broke Swiatek eight times in 10 chances. In the semifinals, Eala lost to Jessica Pegula of the United States, 7-6, 5-7, 6-3. Pegula is playing Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in Saturday’s final.

Mensik beat 2019 Wimbledon semifinalist Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 in the first round thanks to 23 aces compared to only one for the Spaniard. In the second round, Mensik beat 2024 United States Open semifinalist and number six seed Jack Draper of Great Britain 7-6, 7-6 thanks to 21 aces for Mensik compared to 12 for Draper. Then in the quarterfinals, Mensik upset the 17th seed Arthur Fils of France 7-6, 6-1. Mensik had 13 aces compared to one for Fils.

In the semifinals, Mensik will face Taylor Fritz of the United States on Friday. Fritz won their only prior match, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 in the third round of the 2023 United States Open. The other semifinal in Miami has Novak Djokovic of Serbia versus Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria.

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