After the milestone victory over defending champion and World No. 3 Iga Swiatek, Filipina tennis player Alex Eala ended her journey after falling to World No. 17 Jasmine Paolini in the fourth round of the Wimbledon Championships in London, England, July 6. 

In the first set, Paolini took the lead in the early game, while Eala struggled to respond to the Italian’s aggressive play, marking a score of 4–1. The Filipina tried to fight back, closing the gap to 5–4, but was unable to tie the game, allowing Paolini to take the first set, 6–4.

Meanwhile, in the second set, Eala committed a mountain comeback at 3–5. Paolini tried to strike back, but she was unsuccessful as the Filipina sealed the second set in her favor, 4–6. 

Down in a deadlock series in the final set, a close early-game fight saw Eala and Paolini exchange points trying at 3–3. However, Eala was at her limit as Paolini ended the game with a trio of successful plays, ending the game at 6–3, paving the way for the Italian to secure her spot in the quarterfinals. 

During the post-match interview, Eala expressed her gratitude to her Filipino fans who continuously supported her throughout the tournament. 

“Maraming maraming salamat sa lahat ng kababayan natin na patuloy na sumusuporta sa mga laban ko dito,” she shared.

Eala also shares her hope of inspiring Filipino athletes, especially young girls who dream of competing on the world stage. 

“It’s an honor to be able to pave the way for young girls. It would be the honor of my life to be able to inspire others. I think inspiration is such a beautiful thing,” Eala stated.

Despite the defeat, Eala made history by becoming the first Filipino tennis player to appear in the fourth round of a Grand Slam event, cementing another milestone for the Filipina and Philippine tennis.