Romwel Anzures

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines calls for a towel against Iga Swiatek of Poland during their match on Day 9 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 26, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Al Bello, Getty Images/AFP

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1751122265420IMG_7261.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Alexandra Eala of the Philippines calls for a towel against Iga Swiatek of Poland during their match on Day 9 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 26, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. Al Bello, Getty Images/AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Alexandra Eala of the Philippines calls for a towel against Iga Swiatek of Poland during their match on Day 9 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 26, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. <em>Al Bello, Getty Images/AFP/file</em></span></span></span></div><p>(<strong>UPDATED</strong>) Alex Eala ended her historic campaign in the 2025 Eastbourne Open falling short of sealing what could have been her first-ever WTA title.</p><p>The 20-year-old’s impressive run in the tournament ended in defeat as she fell short against Maya Joint, 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 (10-12), during their Saturday evening (Manila time) face-off that went to the limit.</p><p>Tied at 6-6 in the deciding frame, Eala was able to hold four championship points, putting her in prime position to get the victory.</p><p>Unfortunately for the Filipina, Joint also showed grit as she tied the game at 10-10. The Australian then took advantage of getting into championship point, 11-10, after Eala’s attempt went long.</p><p>Joint then refused to give Eala another shot of tying the set by eventually sealing the win, 12-10, with a strong hit. </p><p>Despite the loss, however, Eala held her head up high and remained proud of her campaign in Eastbourne</p><p>“First of all, I wanna congratulate Maya for a great match and a great tournament,” an emotional Eala, who still won 33,380 USD, said after the game. “You did really well, and if I was to lose to anyone this week, it would be to you, so congratulations.”</p><p>Eala also relished her journey en route to her first-ever WTA Final, expressing her gratitude to her supporters. </p><p>“To everyone who came to watch, you guys made it really special, my first WTA Finals,” she said. “It’s a big deal for me and for my country because it’s the first time, that’s why I&#x27;m so emotional.”</p><p>“I’ll work hard to do more. It’s been a crazy year, so I’ll remember this week and this moment forever,” she added. </p><p>Earlier, after Eala’s first set comeback fell short, the Filipina displayed a masterful second frame as she dominated her opponent with a quick 6-1 win.</p><p>However, despite building a 2-0 lead in the deciding set, Eala saw herself suddenly down 4-2, with Joint even blanking her Filipina counterpart in the fifth game.</p><p>Eala managed to tie the contest, 4-4, all thanks to her composure which allowed her to blank Joint in the eighth game, but while she eventually took a 5-4 lead, Joint retaliated and re-tied the contest at 5-5.</p><p>The Filipina then swept the 11th game for a 6-5 lead, but Joint refused to give in just yet, crawling back to eventually get the championship. </p><p>Even with this heartbreaker, however, Eala still made history in Eastbourne. </p><p>In her stint there, Eala became the first-ever Filipino to reach a WTA final, a huge step for the Quezon City native’s career. Previously, Eala also made a historic run in the 2025 Miami Open last March, becoming the first Filipina to enter a WTA semifinal.</p><p>Eala will now be looking to bank on this momentum as she turns her focus on her upcoming Wimbledon main draw debut next week.</p><p>Following the Eastbourne Open, Eala is set for another daunting task as she will face Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova.</p><p>There was a possibility that Eala and the 29-year-old Krejcikova could have faced in the Eastbourne semifinal, but the latter begged off due to a right thigh injury.</p><p>Now, their pairing is official, and Eala will be looking to defy the odds again when she faces the defending champion in Wimbledon’s Round 1.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BE6XZALgSCE??si=DLp6tAZvor4oxbwU&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a5euXXnSYiU??si=_kkJuZBp9o2s0QSU&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Alex Eala ended her historic campaign in the 2025 Eastbourne Open falling short of sealing what could have been her first-ever WTA title.</p>

Alex Eala ended her historic campaign in the 2025 Eastbourne Open falling short of sealing what could have been her first-ever WTA title.

Alex Eala ends historic Eastbourne run in heartbreaking loss vs. Maya Joint

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Alex Eala ends historic Eastbourne run in heartbreaking loss vs. Maya Joint

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 28, 2025 11:08 PM PHT

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Updated June 29, 2025 01:30 AM PHT

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