MIAMI - Alexandra Eala wrote her name in tennis history on Sunday when the 19-year-old Filipina defeated Australian Open champion Madison Keys from the Miami Open.
She became the first woman from the Philippines to beat a top-10 opponent since the ranking system came into being 50 years ago.
It was a result that Eala celebrated with spontaneity and emotion, hugging her team while on the brink of tears.
A little later, more composed but still struggling to comprehend her achievement, Eala tried to put it into context.
"It's a big thing to take in, and I feel it's important for me to take it in step by step. I'm so super proud of what I was able to accomplish, but it definitely fuels me more," she said.
"I know and it's in my mind that I have a next match, but I need to stop, and I need to recognize that what I did today was really amazing. I think my reaction on court, you know, sums up pretty much how I feel about it," she said.
When Eala was a 13-year-old girl, growing up in the Philippines, her talent was evident and her family made the difficult decision to send her to Spain to Rafael Nadal's academy in Mallorca.
There is no doubt that the access to the quality of coaching and facilities that the Spaniard makes available has helped Eala to grow into the 2022 US Open girls' singles champion and now a real contender on the WTA Tour.
But Eala knows that her road to the big stage began earlier than that move.
"The academy has been my home for the past seven years. Of course, my family should take credit for the foundation that they laid out before they sent me there." she said.
"But of course, the academy was able to build on that foundation in such a way that I'm able to be where I am now. And I think the combination of everything that I've been through since I started tennis is what has led to this moment and what has led to me having all these opportunities," she added.