Alex Eala will have the opportunity to turn last year’s heartbreak into redemption when she faces Australia’s Maya Joint in the second round of Wimbledon on Thursday, July 2.
The two last met in the 2025 Eastbourne final, where Eala came agonizingly close to lifting the title. She held four championship points before Joint mounted a dramatic comeback to win 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10) in one of the most memorable matches at Eastbourne.
When Eala completed her first-round victory, Joint and Serena Williams were still battling on Centre Court, leaving the Filipina uncertain about who her next opponent would be.
Asked whether she preferred facing Joint or Williams, Eala smiled and said: “Either way would be a very interesting match for me. I had a really great match with Maya last year, so I’d like to have the chance to improve on some of the things that I could have improved on.”
On the possibility of facing Serena Williams, Eala added: “To play Serena — wow. Just to say it is amazing. To put myself in that situation against a legend and really test my limits would be a highlight of my career, so far.”
Joint eventually prevailed, defeating the 23-time Grand Slam champion in three sets to book a second-round showdown with Eala.
After missing time this season because of a back injury, Joint steadied herself to defeat Williams, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.
Williams, playing her first singles match in four years, showed flashes of the brilliance that made her one of the greatest players in tennis history. She impressed the Centre Court crowd with her powerful serve, explosive groundstrokes, and trademark fighting spirit, earning loud ovations after several winners and passing shots.
Joint admitted afterward that she had barely slept the night before, overwhelmed by the thought of playing Williams on Centre Court at Wimbledon. The Australian became emotional after securing one of the biggest victories of her career.