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When some doubt her, Alex Eala has proven time and time again that she can rise to the occasion. She takes every loss as a lesson in growth and comes back stronger as a result. The World No. 30 just recently came off playing doubles with tennis legend Venus Williams at the Bad Homburg Open-Doubles, where they notched a win together before ending their run against Olivia Nicholls of Great Britain and Tereza Mihalikova of Slovakia. Now, at Wimbledon, Eala isn’t just playing but winning and making history for herself and for the Philippines.
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Alex Eala Goes on a Hot Streak at Wimbledon
Before her first match, Eala was entering her Wimbledon run already a history maker as she was the first-ever Filipina to be seeded in a Grand Slam singles draw, entering as the No. 29 seed, and first time in her professional career to do so. The wins didn’t stop there, as in her inaugural match and second time playing on the grass courts of the legendary UK competition, the Gen Z tennis star beat Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa with a 6–1, 6–2 score at the 2026 Wimbledon Open.
With the win, the 21-year-old became the first Filipino to score a victory in a singles main draw match at Wimbledon in the Open Era. This wasn’t the first time Eala and Zarazua, who were previously doubles partners, faced each other on the court as they competed at the 2024 ITF Cary Tennis Classic, where the latter defeated the former.
In the second round, which was just the second time Eala reached that point in a Grand Slam, the first being in the 2025 US Open, Eala faced Australia’s Maya Joint, who previously defeated the Filipina at the 2025 Eastbourne Final. Initially trailing 3-6, Eala rallied for a comeback victory with a final score of 6-2, 6-0. Her win extended Eala’s entry in the history books as she became the first Filipino to reach the third round of a Grand Slam and marked Eala’s first-ever advancement to the third round of a Grand Slam in her professional career.
Eala’s performance at Wimbledon so far has been a far cry from her debut last year. For her first match, then, she was up against Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova, the 2024 titleholder of the ladies’ singles tennis title of the Wimbledon Championships, and lost. Now, not only is she the furthest she’s ever reached in a Grand Slam, but she also defeated two opponents who previously bested her to get there. It just goes to show how much Eala has improved in just the past year.
This growth and current run for Eala is even more poignant given that the phrase “Kapag lumago, hindi na hihinto” is stitched at the back of her visor, signifying that the seeds have already been planted not just for her, but for the next generation of Filipinas to follow after.
Up next for Eala in round three is a match against defending champion Iga Swiatek. She will also be competing in the doubles tournament alongside Nikola Bartunkova, with their first match being against Jelena Ostapenko and Sofia Kenin. No matter what happens next, Eala has an entire country, and even her fellow tennis pros, rooting for her.
Featured Image: WIMBLEDON (via Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions
Eala became the first Filipina seeded in a Grand Slam singles draw, the first Filipino to win a Wimbledon singles main draw match in the Open Era, and the first Filipino to reach the tournament’s third round, doing so as the No. 29 seed.
Eala defeated Australia’s Maya Joint 6-2, 6-0 after trailing 3-6, avenging a previous loss to Joint at the 2025 Eastbourne final and advancing to her first-ever Wimbledon third round, only the second time she has reached a stage of a Grand Slam past an opening round in her career, after the 2025 US Open.
Yes. Eala’s 6-1, 6-2 win over Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa in the first round made her the first Filipino to win a singles main draw match at Wimbledon during the professional Open Era, which began in 1968, and only her second time playing on the grass court.
In 2025, Eala lost her Wimbledon debut match to defending champion Barbora Krejcikova. In 2026, she reached the third round as the tournament’s No. 29 seed, defeating two players, Zarazúa and Joint, who had previously beaten her, marking measurable growth in her game within a single year.
Eala faces defending champion Iga Świątek in the Wimbledon third round. She is also competing in doubles with Nikola Bartunkova, opening against Jelena Ostapenko and Sofia Kenin, after her earlier doubles run with Venus Williams at the Bad Homburg Open.
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