Martina Navratilova remains undecided over the winner in the Wimbledon clash between Alex Eala and Jasmine Paolini.
The two WTA superstars will go head-to-head in the fourth round of the Grand Slam, with Centre Court playing host.
Eala enters the match on the back of a shock victory over defending champion Iga Swiatek, while Paolini just knocked out Maria Sakkari.
Tennis legend Navratilova has now previewed the match at Wimbledon, where Eala is enjoying the best Grand Slam run of her career so far.
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Martina Navratilova ‘50/50’ over Alex Eala vs Jasmine Paolini at Wimbledon
Speaking on Tennis Channel, Navratilova said: “I think it’s a 50/50 proposition. I mean, I think Alex Eala will have a better upside as a tennis player.
“But Paolini did get to the finals here. And also Alex likes the ball to come onto her racket. Paolini doesn’t give you much space.
“She hits drop shots, backhand slice, she rolls the forehand. Although she handled Swiatek’s forehand pretty well, so.
“Yeah, it’s a 50/50 proposition, and the pressure is on Alex. But she’s been embracing it so far. She handles it really well.”
While Eala has never reached this stage of a Grand Slam, Paolini is a two-time runner-up, including a 2024 Wimbledon final defeat to Barbora Krejcikova.
| Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Loss | 2024 | French Open | Clay | Iga Swiatek | 2–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 2024 | Wimbledon | Grass | Barbora Krejcikova | 2–6, 6–2, 4–6 |
Jim Courier issues Jasmine Paolini concern before Alex Eala clash
Another former player, Jim Courier, is also hugely excited for the match, but he has issued a slight concern about Paolini.
He asked: “Do we have any concern about Paolini’s health? She pulled out of the doubles with Sara Errani.
“I think protecting a foot is what I’d heard. Movement is so critical out here and you have to be so delicate with your movement.
“But you know there’s a part of me that also just wants to ride this Eala Cinderella story. There’s something magical about taking an entire nation with you on a journey.
“And if she can do it here at Wimbledon, we’ll feel that energy, and we already have felt it, so we’ll see. I mean, I love both of them.
“So either way we’re going to have something that we’re going to smile about. But man there’s a lot riding on it for the Philippines.”
The players have met once in their WTA careers so far, with Eala beating Paolini 6-1, 7-6(7-5) in the Dubai round of 32 earlier this year.
The pair have also met on the doubles court, where Paolini and Errani defeated Eala and Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Italian Open.
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