MANILA, Philippines – Consider Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra one of Alex Eala’s biggest fans, and not of the bandwagon kind, either.

Two years removed from first meeting the Filipina tennis sensation at a Miami Heat game, the Fil-Am mentor gushed over Eala’s recent giant-slaying Cinderella run at the 2025 Miami Open, where she beat Grand Slam champions Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek in stunning succession.

“Great deal of pride. I mean, the country is exploding over her story. I think it’s one of the most inspiring things ever that a world-ranked tennis player comes out of a small place in the Philippines,” Spoelstra told the Miami Herald.

“I had the fortune of meeting her here two years ago. She came to one of our games, nobody knew who she was. She was just a fan, and it was her first time in the Miami Open. And then right now what she’s doing is just absolutely magical.”

Just like Spoelstra who rose from humble beginnings as the Heat’s video coordinator, Eala was a relative unknown back when the two Filipino sporting icons first met, as she was just ranked 219th in the world coming off a forgettable Round of 128 loss to quietly exit the 2023 Miami Open.

Still just a teenager two years later, Eala has jumped to world No. 75 in the official Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings and No. 71 in the live rank version as of Monday, March 31, and Spoelstra was glad to have seen her rise in person from the comforts of his home city.

“We won that game when she came here two years ago, and I said, ‘OK, I owe her one.’ I’ll be at one of your matches,” he continued. “Unfortunately, it’s taken two years. But hey, I’m glad I waited because [the Swiatek match] was incredible. It was so inspiring.”

“I was able to watch the match with her family, her agent, her coach and just seeing the pride of everybody in that circle. It’s really inspiring. … It was a special day and she’s still going. It’s a magical ride.”

Spoelstra has long been a champion in Miami and is now one of the most respected coaching figures in the NBA. While Eala may not have found the same level of success in South Beach just yet, her recent Miami Open run was as good a glimpse into her bright future as it could conceivably get. – Rappler.com