Miami Open director settles Centre Court question for Alex Eala and Joao Fonseca

Despite their limited experience, Alex Eala and Joao Fonseca have quickly become two of the most recognisable faces in tennis.

Even though their rankings have not caught up to their popularity, they cannot be kept off the main courts any longer.

Crowds have been left watching from outside arenas after organisers underestimated the draw of both players. Fans from the Philippines and Brazil have packed venues wherever they have played, and scheduling has not always kept up with demand.

James Blake has made it clear that he will not let that mistake happen at this year’s Miami Open.

James Blake shares his approach to Alex Eala at the Miami Open

Blake, speaking to Tennis Channel ahead of the Miami Open where he serves as tournament director, was asked what fans can look forward to following Indian Wells.

Naturally, one of the main topics was how he plans to handle the growing fanbases of Eala and Fonseca.

When questioned about whether they will be given more prominent court assignments, Blake said: “Yes, harking back last year when I learned my lesson of Fonseca needs to be on stadium, and he will be, yes.

“And Eala, it’s been quite a thrill ride for her this last year as well.”

He added: “I feel like last year, this event, it was a little bit of a coming-out party where she had some great results coming from a wildcard position as well. So I think the international interest in both of them is so high, and Miami being such a cultural melting pot with so much of the international flavour here.

“I think we’re going to need them to be on centre court because they have so many fans worldwide, and here it’s going to feel like home matches for both of them.”

This observation follows Eala’s comments highlighting the shift she has seen in Philippine tennis since she rose to prominence.

How many ranking points does Alex Eala have to defend at the Miami Open?

Eala returns to Miami as a very different player from the one who made her breakthrough at this event a year ago.

Back in 2025, she was an unseeded wildcard entry, and few could have predicted how quickly she would make her mark on the tournament. That decision paid off handsomely.

Her semi-final run not only shocked the draw, but also gave her ranking and reputation a huge boost in just one week.

This time around, though, there is more pressure. Eala has a significant number of points to defend and could see her ranking slip if she does not match last year’s performance.

She picked up 390 points for that run, and anything less this time could push her out of the top 50.

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