Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Madrid match.
For Iga Swiatek, this encounter with Alexandra Eala offers a chance for symbolic redemption. The Polish player endured a tough loss to the teenage Filipino at the Miami tournament, where she was unexpectedly eliminated in the quarter-finals. Still without a title this season, Iga Swiatek will be fully focused on getting back to winning ways. Meanwhile, Eala continues her impressive rise and enters the Madrid clash without pressure following a strong campaign start.
Alexandra Eala
The 19-year-old has broken into the WTA elite and drew attention in Miami with wins over Madison Keys, Jelena Ostapenko, and Iga Swiatek. In Madrid, she opened confidently, beating Viktoriya Tomova (6:3, 6:2), with a 66% success rate on her first serve. This season, the Filipino has reached the second round in seven consecutive tournaments and has won at least eight games in 16 of her last 17 matches.
Iga Swiatek
The world number two is experiencing a challenging run, with recent defeats to Mirra Andreeva (in Dubai and Indian Wells), Madison Keys, and Jelena Ostapenko raising concerns. In Stuttgart, Swiatek failed to progress beyond the second round. Still, she has a dominant clay-court record, winning 46 of 51 matches on the surface since 2023. She previously reached the Madrid final two years ago and won the title in 2024. That said, the only prior meeting between these two remains notable—Swiatek lost in straight sets in Miami, taking just seven games (2:6, 5:7).
Alexandra Eala vs Iga Swiatek Prediction
Iga Swiatek will be highly motivated to avenge that defeat, but Alexandra Eala has already proven she can compete with the sport's top players. Even if the favourite prevails, Alexandra Eala has the tools to claim a set or at least extend the match.
