SANTA MONICA, California — Receiving another first-round bye in another WTA 1000 tournament with top players Iga Swiatek, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, Filipina sensation Alexandra 'Alex' Eala returns to the Miami Open that reshaped her rising professional career and paved the way for her to enter the tournament as the No. 32 seed.

Ranking then only at World No. 140, Eala powered her way from last year's Miami Open qualifiers and became the first wild card entry to stun Grand Slam champions that included Swiatek in the quarterfinals.
She also toppled American rivals Katie Volynets and Madison Keys, Latvian Jelena Ostapenko and won a walkover against Paula Badosa of Spain in the round of 16.

Her run ended with a semifinal defeat by Jessica Pegula of the United States, 7-6, 5-7, 6-3, but it was the start of her rise to No. 75 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)'s world ranking. Advancing later with a career high at world's No. 28, she then reached the Indian Wells quarterfinal but fell to Czech champion Linda Noskova, 6-2, 6-0.

The Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy graduate recently won over Gauff, who was forced to retire in the second set, 6-2, 2-0 due to a shoulder injury.