Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates winning the second round women’s singles match against Maya Joint of Australia on the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala had no shortage of motivation coming into her second-round match at Wimbledon.
She was determined to proceed her breakthrough run on the grass after never getting past the second round of a Grand Slam since breaking through on the WTA Tour.
And standing across from Eala was a well-recognized foe in Maya Joint, who handed her an unforgettable heartbreak within the lead-up to her Wimbledon debut a yr earlier.
Eala carried the memories of breaking down in tears after receiving her runner-up trophy on the 2025 Eastbourne Open when she defeated Joint, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, within the 2026 Wimbledon Championships on Thursday night to advance to the third round.
“It’s funny. We had an insane match here at Eastbourne, and I lost, and it hit me quite hard. I cried lots, and I don’t think I used to be in a position to watch those highlights for a few months,” Eala said.
She had every reason to be haunted by that 4-6, 6-1, 6(10)-7 loss after holding 4 championship points, only to lose what would have been her first WTA Tour title as Joint accomplished the dramatic comeback.
FILE–Alexandra Eala of the Philippines with the runners up trophy after the Women’s singles Final during day six of the Eastbourne Open at Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club, Eastbourne, England, Saturday June 28, 2025. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)
This time, it was Eala’s turn to rally. After dropping the opening set, she finished with a flourish—handing Joint a bagel within the decider to turn into the first-ever Filipino within the Open Era to achieve the third round of a Grand Slam.
The victory is a testament to Eala’s massive improvement over the past yr since her dream Miami Open run. She has continued to show heads by beating Top 10 opponents and has climbed to a career-high No. 29 within the WTA rankings.
“I believe I improved lots on this past yr, and I’m pleased that I’m in a position to look back at that loss, and I’m in a position to smile. Extra motivation to win needless to say,” Eala said.
“I’ve been working extremely hard; my team works extremely hard. I actually feel prefer it’s paying off. So this win means lots.”
Eala still congratulated Joint for her big victory over comeback tennis legend Serena Williams, which got here after the Australian battled back injuries and slipped out of the Top 80 this yr.
“She obviously is coming off an incredible win. I watched it, and I believe she played rather well and handled herself rather well in that situation. So, congratulations to Maya. Knowing that, I actually needed to dig deep.”
The Filipino tennis ace also continued to benefit from the backing of fans wherever she played, and it was the identical scene at Court 3 of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, where she celebrated her victory to a standing ovation.
“It’s absolutely incredible…I believe the atmosphere today was amazing. It was electric, respectful, and all that I could have hoped for,” she said of the group.
Now, more history awaits Eala as she faces defending champion Iga Swiatek within the third round.