The dual between 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint and 20-year-old Filipina Alex Eala in the finals of the Lexus Eastbourne Open was an epic one. At stake for the youngest WTA final since 1981 was Joint’s second WTA title, and Eala’s maiden one.
The match was topsy turvy. Joint won the first set, but ever the fighter, Eala, persevered in the second. It was a back-and-forth slugfest in the third set that unsurprisingly would lead to a tiebreak.
Eala had four match points, and Joint had two. 2 1/2 hours later, Joint fell to the court in relief and celebration. Eala was emotional and teary and left the court before the awards ceremony.
INCREDIBLE 3RD SET IN EASTBOURNE.
19yo Maya Joint saves FOUR MATCH POINTS and wins her first career title.
12-10 in the 3rd set tiebreak over Alex Eala.
What a final! pic.twitter.com/Q5x8zjs9SQ
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) June 28, 2025
Maya Joint Is Not Done For The Day
Somehow Joint is going to need to get suitable rest before getting back on the court for the doubles final.
The physical and emotional demands of this match will be difficult to overcome, but her veteran partner Su-wei Hsieh will be on her side of the court.
She won two WTA titles in less than two months and is 2-0 in WTA finals.
Alex Eala Won Fans In Eastbourne
Eala left her heart and soul on the court, and the fans, many Filipino with flags raised, were appreciative of her hard work.
Alex Eala spoke about carrying the mantel of her country, the Philippines, who has never had a player compete for a WTA title.
VALIANT RUN
Alex Eala falls to World No. 51 Maya Joint in the Lexus Eastbourne Open Finals, but still makes history as the first Filipina to reach a WTA Tour final. The future is bright for Philippine tennis.#AlexEala #DailyTribune pic.twitter.com/FWBxD5QG4z
— Daily Tribune (@tribunephl) June 28, 2025
She will have a brief break before heading to Wimbledon where she gained the dubious honor of playing on Centre Court on Tuesday, July 1 against defending champion Barbora Krejcikova. Eala is no stranger to defeating Grand Slam champions having wins against Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek at the 2025 Miami Open.
