Alexandra Eala, who surprised everyone by eliminating reigning champion Iga Swiatek, exited Wimbledon with her head held high after a thrilling defeat to Jasmine Paolini. The young Filipino, who was one of the biggest sensations of the tournament, fell in the round of 16 on Monday, July 6, after three intense sets: 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, in favor of the Italian player.
At just 21 years old, Eala made history by becoming the first Filipino tennis player, male or female, to reach the round of 16 at a Grand Slam in the Open Era. In what has already been an unforgettable journey, Eala overcame Swiatek in the previous round and, despite being eliminated by Paolini, did not hide her pride in her achievement. “It was a very demanding match, a great challenge. I think Jasmine played incredibly. I gave everything I had, I did everything I could today, so I am very proud,” Eala admitted after her elimination in London.
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The Filipino tennis player also highlighted the significance of this week for her career, considering that she had never before advanced past the third round of a Grand Slam tournament. “I have to be very proud of everything I achieved this week: I leave here with positive thoughts. There are many positive conclusions to draw from this tournament,” Eala emphasized, who already has two WTA 125 titles — won in Guadalajara (2025) and Birmingham (2026).
Alexandra Eala, in the conference after the match, highlighted how she managed the pressure: “First of all, I think I dealt with the pressure well. There is pressure every week: the more we want to win, the more pressure we feel along the way… and in that sense, I am happy to have faced all of this with my head held high. I stayed calm when I needed to control my emotions and, overall, I feel that my performance was the best it could be today.”
For Jasmine Paolini, this victory not only represented a place in the quarter-finals but also a recovery in her direct confrontation with Eala, now with one win for each side after their previous clash at the Dubai Tennis Championships, where Eala emerged victorious in two sets.
Paolini, who was a finalist at Wimbledon in 2024, is once again among the last eight of the tournament. The Italian reflected on her journey in the tournament so far, stating: “When I lost the first set 6-0 in the first match, I tried to stay positive, repeating to myself, ‘it can only get better from here.’ I knew that the first round would be complicated because Montgomery played very well on grass. I think that gave me confidence for the following matches. Point by point, I started to feel better. That’s great. I also try to approach these matches positively, in the right way.”
Paolini is now preparing to face Marta Kostyuk in the quarter-finals, having overcome initial difficulties and solidified her return to the elite of world tennis. The Ukrainian also reaches the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the first time, after eliminating Ashlyn Krueger in the previous round. The clash between Paolini and Kostyuk promises to be one of the major highlights of the next stage of the tournament.
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