Filipino tennis star Alexandra Eala is set for her Wimbledon 2025 debut. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Alex Eala, the Philippines’ rising tennis star, is set to make her main draw debut in the prestigious Wimbledon 2025 Championships at All England Club in London this week.

SCHEDULE: Alex Eala at the Wimbledon

July 1, Tuesday – first round (Centre Court)

• TBD – Alex Eala vs Barbora Krejcikova

Where and how to watch Alex Eala at Wimbledon

Alex Eala’s matches in the Wimbledon 2025 championships will air on SPOTV in the Philippines, according to Wimbledon.

• On SkyCable: Manila Ch 31, 32, HD 253, 254; Regional Ch 304, 305, HD 758, 759. On Cignal: Ch 274, 275.

In the United States, ESPN/ABC offer live coverage while the Tennis Channel provides match re-airing.

Inquirer Sports will be providing updates throughout Eala’s campaign via its website, and social media accounts on X, Facebook and Instagram.

Alex Eala’s grass campaign season–and Eastbourne Open history bid

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines with the runners up trophy after the Women’s singles Final during day six of the Eastbourne Open at Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club, Eastbourne, England, Saturday June 28, 2025. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

Alex Eala is bringing the lessons of a heartbreaking final loss in the Eastbourne Open to her Wimbledon main draw debut.

The 20-year-old Filipino failed to capture her first-ever Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) crown despite four championship points in the tiebreak, yielding to Australia’s rising star Maya Joint, 4-6, 6-1, 6(10)-7, on Saturday evening.

As she held back her tears while receiving her runner-up trophy, Eala promised to forget the heartbreak and shift her focus to Wimbledon — her second Grand Slam main draw appearance this year.

Eala went from the qualifiers in the Eastbourne Open to becoming the first Filipino to play in the WTA tour final — also her first on grass court.

After her first-round exit in the French Open, the Rafa Nadal Academy graduate opened her grass season with a round of 32 exit in Lexus Birmingham Open. She reached the quarterfinal of the WTA 125 Lexus Ilkley Open but lost to Rebecca Marino in three sets.

Eala also qualified for the main draw of the Nottingham Open but dropped her first-round game to Magda Linette before she made her first final of the season in Eastbourne.

Alex Eala’s meteoric rise in WTA rankings

The Philippines’ Alex Eala reaches a new career-high in the WTA rankings.– WTA PHOTO

Alex Eala set a new career-high world ranking No. 56 in the WTA a day after her runner-up finish in the Eastbourne Open.

The Filipino tennis sensation leaped 18 spots from her ranking of No.74. This shattered her previous high of World No. 69 last May, following her dream run in the Miami Open and French Open debut.

Still riding on the crest of her impressive Miami Open semifinal run, where she took down three Grand Slam champions, Eala makes her second women’s Grand Slam main draw appearance at Wimbledon.

Who is Barbora Krejcikova? Alex Eala’s first obstacle at Wimbledon

Czech Republic’s Barbora Krejcikova poses with the winner’s trophy, the Venus Rosewater Dish, after winning in the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP)

Alex Eala battles defending champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic on Tuesday in the first round of Wimbledon.

Krejcikova missed the first five months of the season due to a pesky back injury.

Interestingly, Eala had a chance to face Krejcikova in the Eastbourne Open semifinal, but the latter withdrew in the quarterfinal due to a thigh injury.

READ: Wimbledon champ Krejcikova sees ‘great matchup’ vs Alex Eala

“To be honest, I don’t really know that much about her yet because she’s obviously a young player, an upcoming player, and one of the players of the new generation,” Krejcikova said of Eala.

“I know that she was doing quite well at the first half of the year. It’s going to be a great matchup. I’m looking forward to see where the young generation is.”

The 29-year-old Krejcikova is a former World No.2 and has won two Grand Slam singles titles including last year’s Wimbledon and the French Open in 2021.

The current World No.16 netter is also a decorated doubles player with seven Grand Slam championships and an Olympic gold in the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Who are the top seeds at the Wimbledon?

Aryna Sabalenka is the top-seeded woman, and Jannik Sinner is the top-seeded man. They are the players who are ranked No. 1, and the tournament seedings — which were officially released Thursday — follow the WTA and ATP rankings.

For the women, French Open champion Coco Gauff is No. 2, Jessica Pegula No. 3 and Paolini No. 4. For the men, Alcaraz is No. 2, Alexander Zverev No. 3 and Jack Draper No. 4.

Other basic facts about the grass-court Grand Slam tournament

Wimbledon is played outdoors on grass courts at the All England Club in southwest London; there are retractable roofs at Centre Court and No. 1 Court. Women play best-of-three-set matches with a first-to-10 tiebreaker at 6-all in the third; men play best-of-five with a tiebreaker at 6-all in the fifth.

Unlike at the other three major tennis tournaments — the U.S. Open, Australian Open and French Open — there are no night sessions; there is an 11 p.m. curfew at Wimbledon.

This is also the last Grand Slam event with 14 days of competition; later this year, the U.S. Open will join the Australian Open and French Open as a 15-day event that begins on Sunday instead of Monday.

What is new this year at Wimbledon?

The All England Club will use electronic line-calling during matches for the first time, replacing line judges. That puts Wimbledon in line with the Australian Open and U.S. Open, leaving the French Open as the last major with humans making in or out calls — at least as of now.

Another change in 2025: The times for the two singles finals are moving later, with both now starting at 4 p.m. (11 a.m. ET).

–With reports from Associated Press, Agence France-Presse

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