Filipina tennis star Alex Eala delivered a gutsy performance but narrowly missed her first WTA Tour title, falling to Australia’s Maya Joint in a thrilling three-set final at the 2025 Eastbourne Open. The final score: 4-6, 6-1, 6(10)-7(12).
Joint, 19, secured her second professional title, following her win at the Morocco Open. Despite the loss, Eala’s run was historic—making her the first Filipino to reach a WTA 250 singles final.
The match began with Joint dominating the opening set, jumping to a 3-0 lead and eventually clinching it 6-4. Eala rebounded fiercely in the second set, capitalizing on Joint’s frustration to win 6-1.
In the deciding set, both players refused to back down, with the match extending to a tiebreak. Eala had four chances to close it out, even leading 10-9, but Joint surged back to seal the match 12-10 in the breaker.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. commended Eala for her milestone, calling her achievement “a victory for the country” and encouraging her to keep pushing forward.
Eala’s Road to the Final:
- Qualifying Rounds:
- Def. Zeynep Sonmez, 6-1, 6-3
- Def. Hailey Baptiste, 6(1)-7, 7-6(4), 6-1
- Main Draw:
- Def. Lucia Bronzetti, 6-0, 6-1
- Def. Jelena Ostapenko (walkover)
- Def. Dayana Yastremska, 6-1, 6-2
- Def. Varvara Gracheva, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3