Alexandra Eala etched her name in Philippine sports history on Thursday by becoming the first Filipino woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam.
The 29th seed delivered a composed comeback to beat Maya Joint 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the second round at Wimbledon 2026.
What began as a rematch of last year’s Eastbourne final turned into a statement performance that pushed Eala into the last 32 at the All England Club for the first time in her career. The victory also marked her strongest showing yet at Wimbledon and set up a nail-biting third-round clash with world No. 3 Iga Swiatek.
Rematch of the 2025 Eastbourne final
The pair had met only once before, in the Eastbourne final just over a year ago. Maya Joint won that three-set thriller 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(10) after saving four championship points in the tie-break. Alexandra Eala had stood just two points from her first WTA title at 5-4 and 6-5 in the deciding set. The loss stung, especially as Joint went on to claim her second title in two months after earlier success in Rabat.
Thursday’s meeting carried extra weight. Both players knew the stakes. Joint arrived with momentum on grass, while Eala carried the memory of that near-miss and a growing belief that her game suited the fast courts at Wimbledon.
Alexandra Eala flips the script in deciding set
The match followed a familiar pattern early on. Maya Joint took the first set 6-3 with aggressive returning and clean hitting. Alexandra Eala responded strongly in the second, raising her level to claim it 6-2 and force a decider.
The third set became the defining passage of the match. Eala produced her most complete tennis of the tournament, winning every game to complete a 6-0 shutout. The 29th seed looked sharper, moved better, and converted her opportunities without hesitation. The 6-0 scoreline reflected total control and gave Eala the perfect platform to celebrate a career-defining win.