Since stunning Swiatek in the Miami Open quarterfinals, Eala is a respectable 2-2. She nearly upset Jessica Pegula in the Miami semis, then began her clay-court campaign at a WTA 125 in Portugal. Her main-draw debut in Madrid was ideal: a 6-3, 6-2 win over Viktoriya Tomova.

The spotlight really returns, though, in this tantalizing second-rounder. Not only because of Eala’s star turn, but because of Swiatek, who is still without a singles title in 2025. The world No. 2 is 22-7 this season, but 0-3 in semifinals. Clay would seem to cure Iga’s ills, but the pressure will mount the longer her relative drought extends. The four-time French Open champion’s motivation should be sky-high.

How about Eala’s? “Now that the dust has settled, I try not to think about Miami so much,” she said after setting up the rematch. “Personally, of course it comes to mind when everyone’s asking—but in my mind, I have my whole life to look back at those moments and I’ll always have those memories. But the tour goes on, competition goes on, so right now I’m fully focused on Madrid.”

That’s the mindset of a player who is here to stay for the long haul. In the short term, however, it’s hard to picture Swiatek stumbling this early at a big clay-court tournament, and against a player she’ll have more of a read on. Winner: Swatek—Ed McGrogan

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