Alexandra Eala Becomes First Filipina Tennis Player to Reach WTA Final

ALEXANDRA Eala has become the first Filipina tennis player to advance to the final of a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tournament. Eala defeated Varvara Gracheva in the WTA 250 Eastbourne Open semifinal on grass. The match, which lasted for two hours and 22 minutes, ended with Eala winning 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.

Quoted from the WTA website on Friday, June 27, 2025, Eala acknowledged the difficulty of the match. "There were tough moments when she played well, and I didn't know how to get out of it (Varvara Gracheva)," she said.

She described the match as physically and mentally challenging. "We both came from the qualifying rounds. She is a very solid player and had some really dominating moments," she said. "So, the fact that I was able to hang in there and wait for my chance is a big achievement for me."

Eala's Profile

Eala was born in Quezon City, the Philippines on May 23, 2005. Alexandra Alex Eala started her professional training at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain. She is currently coached by Joan Bosch. Her professional career began at the age of 14 in the ITF. She won her first ITF title in 2022. Her performance skyrocketed, and by July 2024, she was ranked 69th in the world.

Eala's Matches

Eala will face young Australian tennis player Maya Joint in the summit clash. Joint, who is now 19 years old, secured her place in the final after coming back from 3-5 down in the first set and defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with a score of 7-5, 6-3.

The encounter between Eala and Joint is noted as the youngest combined age final in Eastbourne since 1981, when Tracy Austin (18 years old) defeated Andrea Jaeger (16 years old). After reaching the semifinals of the Miami Open in March by defeating three Grand Slam champions, Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek, Eala's performance declined. She lost in four of the following five tour matches.

However, the player with a skill for flat shots has regained her form. Last week, she made it to the main draw through qualifying in Nottingham. This week, she again demonstrated a strong performance in Eastbourne. In her path to the final, she defeated Lucia Bronzetti, Dayana Yastremska, and won against Ostapenko (who withdrew due to injury), and Gracheva in the semifinals.

The Eastbourne final will mark the first meeting between Eala, currently ranked 74th in the world, and Joint, who is in 51st place worldwide. Joint is eyeing her second WTA title after winning a tournament in Rabat five weeks ago

The seventh game between Eala and Gracheva ended in five deuces. Gracheva held a point to break the opponent's serve to make it 4-3. Eala managed to fend off the deciding ball to save it and eventually win.

Eala and Joint's Final Match

Maya Joint, after turning the tables in the final match against Filipina tennis player Alexandra Eala. In the match held in Eastbourne, England, on Saturday, June 28, 2025, Joint won 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(10). "I'm very happy right now," said Joint. "It was a very tough match. In the third set, I'm proud of myself for coming back and holding on in the match."

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