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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider No Williams showdown as Eala books Joint rematch at Wimbledon

No Williams showdown as Eala books Joint rematch at Wimbledon

Published Jul 1, 2026 12:46 pm

At A Glance

  • Instead, it will be Maya Joint standing across the net after the Australian spoiled Williams' Grand Slam return with a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 victory on Wednesday, July 1 (Philippine time).
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates after winning against Renata Zarazua of Mexico after the women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026.(AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates after winning against Renata Zarazua of Mexico after the women's singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, June 30, 2026.(AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
Alex Eala powered into the second round of the Wimbledon Championships, but the dream showdown with former world No.1 Serena Williams would not happen.
Instead, it will be Maya Joint standing across the net after the Australian spoiled Williams’ Grand Slam return with a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 victory on Wednesday, July 1 (Philippine time).
Joint's win came just hours after Eala dismantled Renata Zarazua, 6-1, 6-2, to secure her first Grand
Slam main draw win as a seeded player.
The second-round clash will renew a budding rivalry between eala and Joint, whose only previous meeting came in last year’s  Eastbourne Open in Great Britain, where the Filipina lost in a three-set final.
Eala heads into the rematch with momentum after her dominant opening-round performance, but Joint is equally confident after denying Williams a winning return and knocking off the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.
Beyond Joint, an enticing third-round matchup also looms. Should Eala advance, she could either renew her rivalry with five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek or face former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova for the first time.
Swiatek and Pliskova will battle for that spot after the third-seeded Pole outlasted Taylor Townsend, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, while Pliskova dispatched Tereza Valentova, 6-3, 6-4.
Eala and Swiatek have split their two career meetings, with the Filipina stunning the Polish star in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Miami Open before Swiatek returning the favor with a victory at the Mutua Madrid Open a few months later.

Related Tags

Alex Eala Maya Joint Wimbledon Iga Swiatek Karolina Pliskova
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