LONDON — Alex Eala advanced to the second round of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships after defeating Renata Zarazúa 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday, setting up a rematch with Maya Joint.
The victory gave Eala her first main-draw win at Wimbledon after she exited in the opening round during her tournament debut last year.
Eala will next face Joint, whom she lost to in the final of the 2025 Eastbourne Open. Eala held four championship points before Joint rallied to win the title. Despite the loss, Eala became the first Filipina to reach a WTA singles final.
“A really great match,” Eala said after her opening-round victory. “I’d love to have the chance to improve on some things that I could have improved from that match.”
Since their last meeting, Eala has climbed to a career-high world No. 29 and entered Wimbledon as the tournament’s 29th seed, marking her first appearance as a seeded player in a Grand Slam.
Joint, meanwhile, fell outside the WTA Top 80 after dealing with a back injury earlier this season.
Joint reached the second round after defeating Serena Williams 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 on Centre Court.
Eala secured her place in the second round with a dominant performance against Zarazúa. She recovered from several long rallies early in the match before winning five consecutive games to take the opening set.
The Filipina maintained control in the second set by earning an early service break and preventing Zarazúa, her former doubles partner, from mounting a comeback.
“I’m very happy with my first round,” Eala told the WTA website. “I think that I played really well and kept the intensity throughout the whole match, so I’m hoping to keep this momentum going throughout the week.”