WATCH: Alexandra Eala can’t control her emotions & breaks down in tears after reaching maiden WTA final days ahead of Wimbledon

Alexandra Eala, the 20-year-old Filipino who made waves earlier this year with a semifinal run at the Miami Open, recently sealed her progress to her maiden WTA Tour-level final at the ongoing Lexus Eastbourne Open. In the Eastbourne semis, Eala defeated Varvara Gracheva in three sets. The confidence-boosting win for the youngster comes days before her main draw debut at the Wimbledon Championships.

The Filipo put herself in pole position for the win by taking the first set 7-5. Gracheva though, wasn’t about to go down without a fight, and the Frenchwoman upped her level dramatically in the second set to win it 6-2. However, it was ultimately Eala who prevailed, with the WTA No. 74 registering a 6-3 third-set victory to reach the final of the WTA 250 grasscourt event.

During her post-match, on-court interview, Alexandra Eala couldn’t hold back her tears as she candidly expressed her happiness at having made her way to the final.

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"I’m super happy.. There were really tough moments where she was playing well. I sometimes didn’t know how to get out of it. I’m really happy," Eala said.

Watch the emotional moment unfold below:

Eala, a product of the famed Rafa Nadal Academy, will lock horns with Maya Joint for the women's singles title at the 2025 Lexus Eastbourne Open. Irrespective of what happens in the Eastbourne final, the fact that Eala has reached her first ever WTA Tour-level final should make her feel confident about her chances of mustering a deep run at this year's Wimbledon Championships.

Alexandra Eala handed tough start to Wimbledon 2025; Filipino drawn to face defending champion in first round of grass Major

Defending women's singles champion at Wimbledon, Barbora Krejcikova, awaits Alexandra Eala in the first round of this year's edition of the grass Major, where main draw matches are slated to commence from Monday, June 30. The match will see the pair clash against each other for the first time.

Krejcikova, who defeated Jasmine Paolini in last year's final, is the undisputed favorite on paper to emerge victorious against Eala. However, as the Filipino showed at the 2025 Miami Open, she isn't afraid to take on the big names. In Miami, Eala famously eliminated Grand Slam champions Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek on her way to the semis.

Alexandra Eala has also climbed several spots on the WTA Tour's singles rankings. When the new rankings are published on Monday, June 30, the 20-year-old will find herself in the WTA top 60, with a ranking of World No. 56.

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Sudipto Pati

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

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