Filipino tennis star Alexandra Eala broke down in tears during her runner-up speech after a heartbreaking loss in her maiden WTA final at the 2025 Eastbourne Open, and her mother, Rosemarie Maniego-Eala, couldn’t hold back her emotions either.
As the 20-year-old addressed the crowd with a cracked voice and tear-streaked cheeks, her mother was seen applauding proudly while wiping tears from her face.
Alexandra Eala Makes History With Maiden WTA Final Appearance
Eala’s emotional moment came at the end of a remarkable week on the British south coast. At Eastbourne, she navigated through the qualifying rounds, eventually reaching her first WTA final. She faced off against World No. 51 Maya Joint in a fiercely contested match that lasted over two hours. Despite battling back to force a deciding set, Eala fell just short in a third-set tiebreak, losing 4-6, 6-1, 6-7(10).
After the match, during the trophy ceremony, Eala tried to keep her composure but broke down while addressing the crowd. “It’s my first WTA final,” she said through tears. “It’s a big deal for me and for my country, too, because it’s historic. It’s the first time any Filipina has done anything. I guess that’s also why I’m so emotional, but it’s only the first.”
She went on to thank her family and team, calling the experience unforgettable and expressing her determination to bounce back at Wimbledon the following week.
“I’ll definitely work hard to do more in Wimbledon this next week, so hopefully I’ll forget about this much sooner. Anyway, I’d like to thank my family and my team sitting right there. It’s been a crazy year, so I’ll remember this week and this moment forever.”
The camera cut to her team and her mother, who was visibly overcome with emotion, clapping and wiping her tears.
Alexandra Eala after losing to Joint in Eastbourne
“It’s my 1st WTA final. It’s a big deal for me. For my country too because it’s historic. It’s the first time any Filipino has done anything. That’s why I’m so emotional. But it’s only the first.” 🥹
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) June 28, 2025
The rising star, who trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy, has long been seen as the torchbearer of Philippine tennis. In 2022, she made history as the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles title at the US Open.
Over the years, she added two junior doubles trophies (the 2020 Australian Open and the 2021 French Open) to her résumé. Fast-forward to 2025, and Eala has continued to climb, becoming the first Filipino woman to break into the top 100 of the WTA rankings earlier this March, peaking at No. 69.
Following her Eastbourne campaign, Eala is set to begin her debut appearance at Wimbledon, where she faces a tough opener against reigning champion Barbora Krejčíková in the first round.
MORE: ‘It Was Tough’ – Alexandra Eala Can’t Stop Crying After Confirming Eastbourne Final Berth
