Alex Eala gets a shot at payback vs Maya Joint at Wimbledon

Philippines’ Alexandra Eala returns to Mexico’s Renata Zarazua during their women’s singles first round tennis match on the second day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on June 30, 2026. AFP

Alex Eala collected a milestone—for herself and for the country—with her victory at Wimbledon. She also earned something else: A shot at redemption.

Fresh off her first main-draw win at the All England Club, Eala will face Maya Joint in the second round of the Wimbledon Championships, a rematch of a showdown that produced one of the most unforgettable defeats of her young career.

The two last met in the 2025 Eastbourne Open final, where Eala came within a point of claiming her first WTA title before Joint rallied to deny her despite the Filipino ace holding four championship points. The defeat stung, but it also marked history as Eala became the first female player from the Philippines to reach a WTA singles final.

“A really great match,” Eala recalled after her Wimbledon opener. “I’d love to have the chance to improve on some things that I could have improved from that match.”

A year later, much has changed.

Eala has continued her steady climb on the WTA Tour, rising to a career-high No. 29 and arriving at Wimbledon as the tournament’s 29th seed—her first appearance as a seeded player at a Grand Slam. Joint, meanwhile, slipped outside the Top 80 after battling a back injury earlier this season.

Serena’s conqueror

Still, rankings offer little comfort against an opponent Eala knows can thrive on the biggest stages.

Joint opened her Wimbledon campaign with an eye-catching victory over Serena Williams in a three-set battle, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3, on Centre Court, serving notice that she remains a dangerous contender.

Eala earned her place in the rematch with an emphatic 6-1, 6-2 victory over Mexico’s Renata Zarazua, collecting her first career Wimbledon main-draw win after exiting in the opening round in her debut last year.

“I’m very happy with my first round,” Eala said in an interview with the WTA website. “I think that I played really well and kept the intensity throughout the whole match, so I’m hoping to keep this momentum going throughout the week.”

Against Zarazua, the Filipina weathered several extended rallies before reeling off five consecutive games to seize the opening set. Backed by a vocal Filipino contingent, she carried that momentum into the second set, breaking early and never allowing her former doubles partner to mount a sustained comeback.