Alex Eala earns long-awaited revenge against Maya Joint, reaches historic first Wimbledon third round 

Some victories mean more than a place in the next round.

 

For Alex Eala, her second-round triumph at Wimbledon was about finishing unfinished business.

More than a year after suffering one of the most painful defeats of her young career, the Filipina star finally turned the tables on Maya Joint, battling back for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory on Thursday to reach the third round of Wimbledon for the first time.

 

It was a result that represented far more than another milestone in Eala’s breakthrough season. It closed the chapter on a loss that lingered long after the final point.

 

The two rising stars last crossed paths in the unforgettable 2025 Eastbourne Open final, where Joint erased four championship points before denying Eala her first WTA title in a heartbreaking deciding-set tiebreak.

 

That defeat stayed with Eala.

 

“Yeah, so for those who don’t know we had an insane match last year and I lost. It hit me quite hard. I cried a lot. I don’t think I was able to watch those highlights for a couple of months. So I’m really happy,” Eala said.

 

“I think I improved a lot in this past year. I’m happy I’m able to look back at that loss and I’m able to smile.”

 

The rematch, however, initially looked destined to follow the same script.

 

Joint entered the contest brimming with confidence after stunning seven-time Wimbledon singles champion Serena Williams in the opening round—her first appearance on Centre Court.

 

She carried that momentum onto Court 12.

 

The Australian immediately dictated the tempo, breaking Eala early before repeatedly forcing the Filipina onto the defensive with aggressive baseline play. Eala struggled to settle, spraying unforced errors as Joint comfortably claimed the opening set, 6-3.

 

But unlike Eastbourne, Eala refused to let the match slip away.

 

The No. 29 seed began extending rallies, moving Joint around the court and gradually wresting control from the baseline. A crucial service break in the third game of the second set shifted the momentum entirely before another break later in the frame allowed Eala to level the contest.

 

By the time the deciding set began, the balance of power had completely changed.

 

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Alex Eala brought her A-game against Maya Joint #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/aqu4SjGbEu

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 2, 2026

Eala’s confidence grew with every point while Joint’s disappeared.

 

The Filipina broke serve immediately before racing to a commanding lead, piling relentless pressure on the Australian with cleaner ball striking and superior court coverage.

 

Joint never recovered.

 

Eala swept through the final set without dropping a game, completing one of the most dominant stretches of tennis of her career and booking a historic place in the Wimbledon third round—the deepest Grand Slam singles run of her career.

 

“I really had to dig deep. Especially after the first set. Maya came out on fire. She came out ready. I was expecting a really good match. We’ve competed in some very good conditions before so I was prepared for a good match,” Eala said.

 

“She’s coming off an amazing win. I watched it and I think she played really well and handled herself really well in that situation. Congratulations to Maya.”

 

The victory also continued Eala’s remarkable grass-court surge.

 

Coming into Wimbledon, she had already announced herself as one of the tour’s hottest players after winning the WTA 125 Birmingham Open and reaching the semifinals of the WTA 500 Berlin Tennis Open, where she defeated Donna Vekic, World No. 8 Elina Svitolina, and World No. 2 Elena Rybakina.

 

Now, another major challenge awaits.

 

Standing between Eala and a place in the Wimbledon fourth round is defending champion and third seed Iga Swiatek.

 

The two are no strangers.

 

Eala famously stunned the former World No. 1 in straight sets during the 2025 Miami Open before Swiatek evened the rivalry with a three-set victory in Madrid just weeks later.

 

With the score tied at one win apiece, their third meeting now comes with a place in the second week of Wimbledon on the line—a stage Eala has never reached but now finds herself one victory away from achieving.

 

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