“I AM fresh as a flower.”
That was how Alex Eala summed up her state after a grueling three-hour, 20-minute opening match at the Miami Open.
For the world No. 29, the grind is beginning to show in ways numbers alone cannot capture, and this round-of-64 win over veteran Laura Siegemund may be the clearest evidence yet.
READ: Alex Eala hurdles tough Miami Opener, advances to Round of 32
“It definitely was close. Very demanding physically and mentally but that was one of my goals last year after this tournament was to improve physically and here I am, fresh as a flower,” she said in her post-win interview in the stadium.
A year ago, she walked into Miami as a wildcard, still chasing her footing on tour at No. 140. Now, she returns as a top-30 player, not just surviving long matches but finishing them with something left.
“It means the world to me and it says a lot of my progress and how I've developed as a player and as a person. I came into Miami last year as a wildcard, now I'm in the third round again so I'm really, really happy and especially having been able to compete at this level today against an amazing fighter so I'm really happy," she explained.
The jump is obvious. The journey has been sweet, and hopefully, steady. What stands out more is how she is carrying it.
“I think I'm really pleased with how I'm handling everything as a whole. A lot of things have changed for me especially this year and this season so I think I'm doing a good job of keeping that balance of being hungry and staying happy and still working hard. Thank you everybody. Salamat.”
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