Alex Eala reaches first WTA final, loses to Joint

Filipina tennis player Alex Eala reached her first WTA Tour final at the Eastbourne Open but lost to Australia's Maya Joint with a score of 4-6, 1-6, 7(10)-6 on Saturday.

Despite holding four championship points in the tiebreak and fighting back tears during the trophy presentation, Eala expressed pride and gratitude for her historic achievement as the first Filipina to reach a WTA singles final, saying she was tired but committed to continuing her journey.

Tennis legend Rafa Nadal congratulated Eala on X, calling it 'the first final of many finals,' while the Rafa Nadal Academy also praised its alumna for her impressive performance.

Eala's coaches from The Rafa Nadal Academy were proud of her growth and development throughout her campaign at Eastbourne, where she defeated five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko, and reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys before losing to Joint in the final.

After just a few hours following her loss in Eastbourne, Eala was already headed to Wimbledon for her main draw debut where she will face defending champion Barbora Krejcikova on Tuesday.