The dream to achieve bigger things doesn’t stop for Alex Eala following her sensational run at the 2025 Miami Open this week.

Still on a high from her breakthrough semifinal appearance at a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA1000) tournament, an event rated just one rung below the Grand Slam, the 19-year-old Eala said she is just getting started.

“The real work starts now,” Eala wrote in a social media post Sunday, March 30.

“This year’s Miami Open has left me speechless and so full of emotion, mostly pride and gratitude. I’m proud of myself for pushing through those tough moments, as well as to have been able to make a statement for the Philippines in one of the biggest stages of tennis,” she added.

Coming into the tournament as a wild card with a world ranking at No. 140, Eala slowly made heads turn after stunning world No. 75 Katie Volynets, then went on to pull off one shocking win over another against Grand Slam champions Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek. Her dream run came to an end after bowing to world No. 4 Jessica Pegula, who later on yielded to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the finals.

Despite coming off short of her ambitious title campaign, Eala expressed her gratitude for the experience that allowed her to showcase her capabilities in top-tier tournaments such as this.

It also gave her and the sport of tennis some exposure back in the Philippines with livestreams of her matches, where the sport was not as popular as basketball, boxing and volleyball.

“I’m thankful for all the positivity coming my way, and I pray that you all continue sending support through the highs and lows. Salamat sa lahat ng pagdadasal at magagandang mensahe,” she wrote.

With her semis appearance, Eala propelled 65 notches with a live ranking of No. 75, opening her opportunities to qualify to high-ranked tournaments.

Like what she did at the Miami Open, she promised not to waste this chance.

“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,” she said.

And she’s ready.