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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider From heartbreak to history: Eala finds redemption against Joint at Wimbledon

From heartbreak to history: Eala finds redemption against Joint at Wimbledon

Published Jul 2, 2026 11:21 pm

At A Glance

  • The win carried extra meaning for the 21-year-old Eala, who admitted the painful defeat to Joint last year stayed with her long after the match ended.
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates winning the second round women's singles match against Maya Joint of Australia at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates winning the second round women's singles match against Maya Joint of Australia at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
It was redemption in every sense for Alex Eala.
Nearly a year after suffering a heartbreaking three-set loss to Maya Joint in the Eastbourne Open final, the Filipina turned things around with a stirring 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 comeback victory to book a historic third-round berth at the Wimbledon Championships on Thursday, July 2.
The win carried extra meaning for the 21-year-old Eala, who admitted the painful defeat to Joint last year stayed with her long after the match ended.
“It hit me quite hard,” said Eala in an on-court interview moments after her win against Joint. “ I cried a lot. I don’t think I was able to watch those highlights for a couple of months.”
At the Wimbledon, it briefly looked as though history was about to repeat itself. Joint came out firing, breaking Eala in the opening game before racing away with the first-set victory.
But this time, Eala refused to let the match slip away. She rediscovered her rhythm in the second set, dictated the rallies and took over in the decider to complete the comeback.
Replacing the painful memories with one of the biggest wins of her career made the victory even sweeter.
“I’m really happy. I think I improved a lot in this past year,” said Eala.
“I’m happy I’m able to look back at that loss annd I’m able to smile,” she added.

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