Filipino tennis star Alexandra Eala has begun her Mutua Madrid Open 2025 campaign with a strong start, defeating World No. 64 Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria in her opening game. The match, held on Tuesday (Manila time), saw Eala secure a 6-3, 6-2 victory, setting up a highly anticipated rematch against defending champion Iga Swiatek in the Round of 64.

Their upcoming match is scheduled for Friday, April 24, with the exact time to be determined. This rematch follows Eala's significant win against Swiatek at the Miami Open 2025, where she upset the then-World No. 2 with a 6-2, 7-5 victory, marking arguably the biggest win of her career.

Swiatek, who recently experienced a quarterfinals loss in the Stuttgart Open, received a bye to the second round in Madrid. Eala's victory over Tomova marks her second win in Madrid, a WTA 1000-level tournament. She previously defeated Lesia Tsurenko, then ranked No. 41, in the 2024 main draw. The WTA notes that Eala is the first player from the Philippines to achieve a victory in this prestigious tournament.

Currently ranked World No. 72, Eala aims to improve her performance on clay courts after an early exit at the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal. In a post-match interview, Eala expressed her goals for the clay season, stating her desire to surpass her performance from the previous year and enhance her clay court game. She acknowledges the clay season as a shorter stretch compared to hard court but emphasizes her commitment to continuous improvement and maintaining a high level of play. Eala has also secured a main draw entry into this year’s French Open.