As the working day drew to a close Friday in Manila, Alex Eala was still hard at work halfway across the world in Eastbourne, England—battling on grass, chasing something bigger than just another win.
The 20-year-old Filipina tennis phenom pulled off a gritty 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-3 semifinal victory over Varvara Gracheva, a Russia-born French player that carried more tour experience. It took nearly two-and-a-half hours, but Eala stood firm, holding her nerve in a match defined by broken serves, momentum shifts, and pure endurance.
It was a test of toughness as much as talent. Eala saved eight of the 15 break points she faced. Gracheva saved just five of 12. Both players converted seven break chances, but it was Eala who kept coming up with the steadier answers when it mattered most.
“I’m super happy. It was a tough match,” Eala said afterward, still catching her breath, her voice quivering as tears welled up—silent proof of just how much the moment meant, not just to her but to the parents she rushed to embrace after the final point. “There were really tough moments when she (Gracheva) was really playing well… and sometimes I just couldn’t, didn’t know how to, get hold of it.”
“It was a challenge for both of us, physically and mentally,” Eala continued. “She’s a really solid player and had some moments where she was really dominating. So, you know, the fact that I was able to stay there and wait for my opportunity is a big achievement for me today.”
The win marked one of the biggest of her young career—right up there with her Miami Open semifinal run in March. It also sets her up for a title shot just days before Wimbledon, one of four Grand Slam tournaments where her opening match will be against defending champion Barbora Krejcikova, who is currently ranked 17th in the world.
This isn’t the first time Eala has gotten the better of Gracheva. They met earlier in June at the Nottingham Open—also on grass—and Eala won that match too, in three sets.
She will face either 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint (World No. 51) or Russia-born veteran Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (No. 53) in the final match of the Lexus Eastbourne Open tennis tournament 2025.
Whatever happens next, Eala has already made it clear: she is not just knocking on the door of the sport’s elite. She is stepping through it—one hard-fought win at a time.
