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Filipina tennis star Alex Eala qualifies for Wimbledon 2025 main draw, making history as the first Filipina to compete in singles at the All England Club
LONDON — Filipino tennis trailblazer Alexandra “Alex” Eala continues to smash barriers on the international stage, advancing to the main draw of the Nottingham Open this week—another key step in her historic rise as she heads toward her first-ever Wimbledon appearance.
Fresh off a commanding qualifying performance, the 20-year-old from Quezon City defeated world No. 87 Varvara Gracheva in a hard-fought three-setter, followed by a composed straight-sets win over Romania’s Anca Todoni. These victories secured her a coveted main draw slot at the WTA 250 event in Nottingham—part of the prestigious grass-court season leading to Wimbledon.
Eala’s qualification is more than just another tournament milestone. It’s a symbol of her upward trajectory this year, having reached a career-high WTA ranking of No. 69 in May, and currently standing at world No. 77. With her ranking well inside the Top 108, she automatically qualifies for Wimbledon’s singles main draw under official tournament rules, which reserve 108 of the 128 entries for players based on their WTA rankings as of early June. As a result, Eala will not need to go through qualifying rounds or rely on a wildcard.
By doing so, she is set to make history once again—becoming the first Filipina to compete in the Wimbledon singles main draw. Earlier this year, she became the first Filipina in the Open Era to reach the singles main draw of a Grand Slam at the French Open. Her Wimbledon debut continues a breakthrough year.
This season alone, Eala has delivered stunning upsets over top-ranked players, including a landmark victory against world No. 5 Madison Keys at the Miami Open. That run not only marked her breakthrough into the WTA Top 100 but also made her the first Filipina to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal.
With a 2025 win-loss record of 18–14 and more than $558,000 in prize earnings, Eala enters the second half of the year as one of Asia’s rising stars to watch.
Her next moves include potential entries in Bad Homburg or Eastbourne—two critical tune-up events—before she takes center stage at Wimbledon from June 30 to July 13.
A New Chapter for Philippine Tennis
Eala’s progress is historic not just statistically, but symbolically. In a sport long dominated by Western and European athletes, her presence in major draws affirms the growing footprint of Southeast Asian athletes on the global court.
As she moves deeper into grass-court season—widely considered the fastest and most unpredictable surface in professional tennis—fans from around the world, especially from the Filipino diaspora, are rallying behind her.
