Alex Eala has just broken new ground by reaching the third round of a Grand Slam for the very first time in her career.
Eala has reached that stage at Wimbledon after knocking out Maya Joint, coming from behind to win their second round clash 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 after one hour and 58 minutes.
It was another gutsy performance from the WTA number 32, who beat Renata Zarazua 6-1, 6-2 in her opening match.
Eala couldn’t believe her support at Wimbledon in that clash, with the Filipina ace having received huge backing at the tournament so far, and that is very likely to continue.
It should provide plenty of motivation for her as the event progresses, along with the fact that she has just achieved a significant career first.
| Alex Eala | Maya Joint | |
| 4 | Aces | 1 |
| 2 | Double faults | 3 |
| 48/80 (60) | 1st serve in (%) | 54/97 (56) |
| 27/48 (56) | 1st serve points won (%) | 29/54 (54) |
| 21/32 (66) | 2nd serve points won (%) | 21/43 (49) |
| 5/13 (38) | Net points won (%) | 18/23 (78) |
| 5/19 (26) | Break points won (%) | 2/6 (33) |
| 48 | Receiving points won (%) | 40 |
| 20 | Winners | 37 |
| 18 | Unforced errors | 41 |
| 95 | Total points won | 82 |
| 1726.6 | Distance covered (m) | 1581.1 |
Alex Eala reaches first Grand Slam third round at Wimbledon
Eala had only just claimed her maiden main-draw win at Wimbledon, but the 21-year-old has now gone a step further in more ways than one.
She lost in the first round of the tournament on debut last year, having suffered the same fate twice at the French Open and once at the Australian Open.
Eala did reach the second round of the 2025 US Open, but has now surpassed that feat by reaching round three at the All England Club.
She deserves plenty of praise for her efforts in London, particularly given that Joint had beaten Serena Williams in her opening match on Centre Court.
It was a commanding display on Court 3 from the Filipina, who now faces an intriguing clash with defending champion Iga Swiatek.
| Australian Open | French Open | Wimbledon | US Open | |
| 2025 | – | R1 | R1 | R2 |
| 2026 | R1 | R1 | R3* | – |
Alex Eala vs Iga Swiatek head-to-head ahead of Wimbledon clash
While Eala will be delighted with another Grand Slam win, she will already be turning her attention to Swiatek, who is the defending champion at SW19.
And the pair have an interesting history on the court to say the least, having met twice in their WTA careers so far.
Eala shocked the Pole in their first meeting in the Miami Open quarterfinals last year, winning 6-2, 7-5 during her dream run to the semifinals.
But Swiatek exacted revenge in Madrid later in the year, coming from behind to win their second round match 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
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