Filipina tennis star Alex Eala just made history as the first Filipino to reach a WTA Main Tour Final, cementing her place in Philippine sports history after a remarkable run at the 2025 Eastbourne Open.
Read about how Alex Eala’s star rose at the 2025 Miami Open with her historic semifinal run.
The 20-year-old from Quezon City came heartbreakingly close to clinching her first WTA title but fell to Australia’s Maya Joint in a tightly contested final, 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 (10-12). Despite four championship points, Eala couldn’t close the match but stood proud of her milestone.
“To everyone who came to watch, you guys made it really special, my first WTA Finals,” said Eala, holding back tears. “It’s a big deal for me and for my country because it’s the first time, that’s why I’m so emotional.”
Discover how Alex Eala broke into the WTA Top 70 as the youngest Asian on the elite list.
Her journey to the Eastbourne final saw her outplay top-tier talent. After moving through qualifiers against Zeynep Sonmez and Hailey Baptiste, she took down Lucia Bronzetti, Dayana Yastremska, and Varvara Gracheva in the main draw. She advanced past Jelena Ostapenko via walkover in Round 2.
This breakthrough adds to her landmark semifinal run at the 2025 Miami Open, further elevating Philippine tennis on the global stage.
Eala remained gracious in defeat. “I wanna congratulate Maya for a great match and a great tournament… If I was to lose to anyone this week, it would be to you,” she told Joint, who recently won her first WTA title in Rabat.
From Eastbourne, Eala wasted no time. She drove straight to Wimbledon, where she will make her main draw debut—yet another first for the rising Filipina tennis ace.
WATCH Alex Eala’s emotional speech at the Eastbourne finals:
“Super excited! I’m always in awe when I come here,” Eala said in a media conference. “It’s my first time in the main draw, so I’m exploring the grounds and getting a feel for the place. It’s amazing.”
Eala is set to face defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first round on July 1 at 8:30 PM (Philippine Standard Time). “I’m going up against the defending champion—excited to see how that turns out,” she remarked. “Wimbledon is my favorite slam… I’m living the dream.”
Catch more inspiring Good Sport stories about Filipino athletes breaking boundaries on GoodNewsPilipinas.com.
Join our vibrant Good News Pilipinas community, where we celebrate the achievements of the Philippines and Filipinos worldwide! As the Philippines’ No. 1 Website for Good News and proud winners of the Gold Anvil Award and Lasallian Scholarum Award, we invite you to connect, engage, and share your inspiring stories with us. Together, let’s shine a spotlight on the stories that make every Filipino proud. Follow us on all platforms through our LinkTree. Let’s spread good news and positivity, one story at a time!
