Alex Eala made history as the first Filipina to reach a WTA final by defeating France’s Varvara Gracheva 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 at the Lexus Eastbourne Open in England.
The 20-year-old started from the qualifying rounds and now aims to win the WTA 250 title against either Australia’s Maya Joint or Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Eala’s win boosts her WTA ranking to a career-best No. 64, climbing steadily after her breakthrough semifinal run at the Miami Open.
Despite tough moments in the match, Eala showed resilience, especially in the final set, to secure a gutsy victory in over two hours.
Her historic run marks a major milestone for Philippine tennis and builds momentum ahead of Wimbledon next week.
Source: PhilNews24 | June 28, 2025
