Alexandra Eala and Brazilian sensation João Fonseca made waves at the 2025 Miami Open following breakout performances and massive support from their respective countrymen. As both teenagers were new to the WTA/ATP Tour, the tournament organizers booked them into smaller stadiums with lower capacity, which created a major issue.
Now, to prevent anything like that from happening again, the tournament director, James Blake, reassured everyone that he knows how to schedule these stars.
Alexandra Eala and Joāo Fonseca Set to Headline the 2026 Miami Open
The Philippines sensation Eala was just 19 years old at the time of last year’s Sunshine Doubles and entered the second leg, the 2025 Miami Open, as a wildcard, with a World Ranking of No. 140.
She stunned the field, including major players such as Jeļena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Świątek in straight sets, before losing to Jessica Pegula in a gruelling three-set semifinal. She became the first woman from her country to reach the semifinal of a WTA 1000 tournament, creating a truly historic moment.
Fonseca, on the other hand, reached the third round in his ATP Masters 1000 debut at just 18 years old. He defeated American Learner Tien in the first round in three sets before taking on the 19th seed, Ugo Humbert, in straight sets. He then lost to the 10th seed, Alex de Minaur, in the Round of 32 after giving a tough three-set fight.
The only problem last year was that the organizers initially planned to send Fonseca to Grandstand, the tournament’s second-largest show court. But due to the huge amount of supporters, they decided to use the Stadium court, requiring a ticket upgrade, which enraged the Brazilian supporters.
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In the past year, both stars have become even more popular, with Eala’s first-round match at the 2026 Australian Open creating a bottleneck at the venue. Seeing these events, the tournament director, Blake, vowed to make sure such things don’t happen this year.
Speaking on Tennis Channel, he said, “Harkening back to last year, when I learned my lesson: Fonseca needs to be on Stadium,” while laughing, and added, “He will be, yes.”
He then mentioned Eala, along with the Brazilian, “I think the international interest in both of them is so high,” acknowledging the massive following both stars have.
“And Miami being sort of a cultural melting pot with so much international flavor here. I think we’re going to need them to be on center court, because they have so many fans worldwide,” he added, concluding by saying, “These might feel like home matches for both of them.”
Fonseca and Eala’s Momentum Heading into Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Fonseca’s start to the 2026 season was hampered by a lower back injury, leading to his withdrawal from the Brisbane International and later, the Adelaide International. He had a shaky start when he first stepped foot on court this year in Melbourne, losing to American Eliot Spizzirri in four sets, who nearly eliminated the two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in the third round.
He then returned to South America for the clay swing, suffering second-round exits in Argentina and Rio before making a statement in Tennis Paradise. Fonseca defeated the 16th seed Karen Khachanov and the 23rd seed Tommy Paul consecutively, setting up a much-anticipated clash with the World No. 2 Sinner.
Even though he was defeated in straight sets, he forced tiebreaks in both sets, giving a tough fight to arguably the best hard-court player since 2024. He is now set to take on the Hungarian star Fábián Marozsán in the first round of the Miami Open on Wednesday, March 18.
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Eala has enjoyed a strong start to the season, making deep runs at multiple tournaments. She began the year by reaching the semifinals of the ASB Classic but suffered a first-round exit against American Alycia Parks in Melbourne.
The World No. 29 then reached the quarterfinals in Manila, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai. In Qatar, she suffered a first-round exit and reached the Round of 16 at Indian Wells.
She has received a first-round bye in Miami due to her ranking and will play directly in the Round of 64 against either Laura Siegemund or Petra Marčinko.
