Alexandra Eala reacts after winning a point to Varvara Gracheva during the women's singles semi-final match of the Eastbourne Tennis Open tournament, at Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club, Eastbourne, England, Friday June 27, 2025. The Filipino star won 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 to enter her first WTA final. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)
LONDON: Friday's Wimbledon draw has pitched women's defending champion Barbora Krejcikova, the 17th seed, against rising star Alexandra Eala of the Philippines.
Alexandra Eala, who is the first woman representing the Philippines to be ranked inside the top 100, had already upset Poland superstar Iga Swiatek on the way to reaching the Miami Open semifinals in March.
She is also having a great run in the ongoing Eastbourne Women's Tennis Open. Eala is already in the final having beaten Varvara Gracheva of Russia, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.
Eala, coming off a strong win over Dayana Yastremska, will be playing in her first WTA grass-court final on Saturday (June 28).
She is also the first Filipino to defeat multiple top-five players and Grand Slam champions and reach a tour-level final and semifinal in the Open Era.
Also in their section of the draw, 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who announced she will retire later this year, takes on No. 10 Emma Navarro in the first round.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka's quest for her first Wimbledon title will begin against Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine while second seed Coco Gauff's opener will be versus Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska.
Third seed Jessica Pegula's first-round opponent is Italian qualifier Elisabetta Cocciaretto, while fourth seed Jasmine Paolini, runner-up last year, faces Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia.
Belarusian Sabalenka could meet Paolini in the semi-finals while Gauff is in line for a clash with fellow American Pegula.
British number one Emma Raducanu faces an intriguing opening round match against compatriot Mingge Xu, one of three British teenaged wildcards in the draw. - Added info from wire servies news
