Alexandra Eala made history on Thursday by becoming the first player from the Philippines to reach the third round of a Grand Slam in the Open era. The 21-year-old fought back to defeat Australia's Maya Joint 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 in an electric atmosphere on Court Three at Wimbledon, where hundreds of Filipino spectators cheered her on.
A historic achievement for the Philippines
Eala, the 29th seed, described the achievement as amazing for her country. "It's obviously an amazing thing for me to do that for my country," she said after booking a last-32 tie with reigning Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek. "I really appreciate that I'm able to share this with the nation, but I think first and foremost it makes me super proud because of the work that I've put in."
The atmosphere was unmistakably Filipino, with fans waving the flag of the Southeast Asian archipelago nation. Eala's team and family wore t-shirts bearing a picture of the sampaguita, the national flower of the Philippines. "I think the atmosphere today was amazing, it was electric, respectful and all that I could have hoped for," said Eala, who stayed on court to sign autographs for as long as possible.
Carrying Filipino culture on the global stage
The Philippines, the world's 12th most populous country, has had few female sports stars in recent years, with men's boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and gymnast Carlos Yulo flying the flag globally. Eala wore a custom Nike visor bearing a phrase in Tagalog that translates to: "Every dream begins as a seed. Once it grows, it cannot be stopped."
"I think it's so sentimental to be able to wear things or to carry parts of my culture with me on court, because of course it's a huge reason as to who I am," added Eala. "And for me to be able to represent the Philippines in Wimbledon, I guess, and in the biggest stages in the world, it means so much to me."
Hard work paying off
Eala will resume her burgeoning rivalry with six-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek on Saturday. She claimed a shock win over the Pole in the 2025 Miami Open quarter-finals, before losing a one-set lead in Madrid in a rematch a few weeks later. Eala allayed fears about an injury, despite wearing heavy strapping on her right leg. "I'm okay, no injury, no serious problem. The bandage is more preventative. I mean, I guess I'm normal tired. It's my job, so I'll be back," she said.
Eala had previously struggled to translate her strong WTA Tour performances to Grand Slams, winning just one match in her previous five major appearances. However, she arrived at the All England Club in excellent grass-court form after reaching the semifinals in Berlin and winning a WTA 125 title in Birmingham. "I've been working extremely hard, my team has been working extremely hard and I really feel like it's paying off, so these wins mean a lot," said Eala.
Revenge for Eastbourne loss
Eala gained a measure of revenge for an agonizing loss to Joint, 12/10 in a deciding-set tie-break, in the Eastbourne final last year. "It hit me quite hard, I cried a lot, I wasn't able to watch those highlights for a couple of months," she said of that match. "I think I've improved a lot in this past year, and I'm happy that I'm able to look back on that match now and smile."
