Eala exacts vengeance on Joint for R3 berth, extends cinderella run at Wimbledon

Alex Eala’s historic campaign on the Wimbledon grass only got sweeter with another act of vengeance.

The Filipina tennis ace continued settling old debts against rivals, this time striking retribution on Australian Maya Joint, 3–6, 6–2, 6-0, in the round of 64 of the 2026 Wimbledon Open in London, July 2.

Proving her mastery on the grass, Eala settled unfinished business after succumbing to Joint in last year’s Lexus Eastbourne Finals, converting her runner-up finish to a statement win on a bigger stage and a ticket to the round of 32.

“It hit me quite hard. I cried a lot, and I think I wasn’t able to watch those highlights for a couple of months. I’m really happy. I think I improved a lot this past year, and I’m happy that I’m able to look back at that loss and I’m able to smile,” shared the 21-year-old Eala.

Seeming to kill two birds with one stone, this is also the first time in Philippine tennis history for a Pinay to advance to the third round of a Grand Slam in the Open Era.

Eala had a bumpy road leading to her come-from-behind win, falling prey to Joint in just 34 minutes in the opening set to eventually turn the tide with crisp serves in the second canto to tie the scores.

From there, the World No. 32 lefty left no room for error as she swept her Aussie foe in the next six games, banking on composure that left her Aussie rival breathless to ultimately seal the deal.

Spotlights shine brighter on Eala in the round of 32 as she faces defending champ World No. 3 Iga Swiatek on July 4.

This is the third time Eala is facing the Polish in her nascent career, having tallied a 1–1 card after yielding to Swiatek in last year’s Madrid Open.

With reports from Rappler