Alex Eala ended her historic campaign in the 2025 Eastbourne Open, falling short of sealing what could have been her first-ever WTA title.
The 20-year-old’s impressive run in the tournament ended in defeat as she fell short against Maya Joint, 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 (10-12), during their Saturday evening, June 28 (Philippine time) face-off that went to the limit.
Tied at 6-6 in the deciding frame, Eala was able to hold four championship points, putting her in prime position to get the victory.
Unfortunately for the Filipina, Joint also showed grit as she tied the game at 10-10. The Australian then took advantage to get into championship point, 11-10, after Eala’s attempt went long.
Joint then refused to give Eala another shot of tying the set by eventually sealing the win, 12-10, with a strong hit.
Despite the loss, however, Eala held her head up high and remained proud of her campaign in Eastbourne.
Eala also relished her journey en route to her first-ever WTA final, expressing her gratitude to her supporters.
“To everyone who came to watch, you guys made it really special, my first WTA finals,” she said. “It’s a big deal for me and for my country because it’s the first time. That’s why I’m so emotional.”
“I’ll work hard to do more. It’s been a crazy year, so I’ll remember this week and this moment forever,” she added.
Earlier, after Eala’s first set comeback fell short, the Filipina displayed a masterful second frame as she dominated her opponent with a quick 6-1 win.
However, despite building a 2-0 lead in the deciding set, Eala saw herself suddenly down 4-2, with Joint even blanking her Filipina counterpart in the fifth game.
Eala managed to tie the contest, 4-4, all thanks to her composure, which allowed her to blank Joint in the eighth game, but while she eventually took a 5-4 lead, Joint retaliated and re-tied the contest at 5-5.
The Filipina then swept the 11th game for a 6-5 lead, but Joint refused to give in just yet, crawling back to eventually get the championship.
Even with this heartbreaker, however, Eala still made history in Eastbourne.
In her stint there, Eala became the first-ever Filipino to reach a WTA final, a huge step for the Quezon City native’s career. Previously, Eala also made a historic run in the 2025 Miami Open last March, becoming the first Filipina to enter a WTA semifinal.
Eala will now be looking to bank on this momentum as she turns her focus on her upcoming Wimbledon main draw debut next week.
Following the Eastbourne Open, Eala is set for another daunting task as she will face Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova.
There was a possibility that Eala and the 29-year-old Krejcikova could have faced in the Eastbourne semifinal, but the latter begged off due to a right thigh injury.
Now, their pairing is official, and Eala will be looking to defy the odds again when she faces the defending champion in Wimbledon’s Round 1. (ABS-CBN News)