Alex Eala couldn’t make more Wimbledon history on Monday, falling to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 fourth-round thriller at Centre Court.
The heartbreaking loss cut short what had been a Cinderella run for the 21-year-old rising star. In a span of a week, she defeated Mexico’s Renata Zarazúa in the opening round, rallied past Australia’s Maya Joint to reach the third round, and produced the biggest victory of her career by dethroning defending champion Iga Świątek to become the first Filipino in the Open Era to reach the second week of a Grand Slam.
Paolini made sure she wasn’t next on Eala’s hit list, emphatically shutting the door on the Rafa Nadal Academy alumna with a brilliant third set.
It’s About Giving Your Best, According to Alex Eala
As Alex Eala plots her next moves, one thing she likely won’t be doing is looking back at her Wimbledon effort with regrets. After all, she did make history—three times, in fact. What’s more, she left it all out on the court. Every single time.
“It comes down to details…” Eala said after her match with Paolini. “I think it’s how you manage yourself during those moments. Looking back, for example, I had one point. Did I stick with my game? Did I stick with the game plan? Did I do everything I could at that moment? I think that’s all you can really do, is do your best.”
“There are so many external factors that you can’t control. You can’t control how she plays. You can’t control if there’s wind. You can’t control if it’s super hot or super cold. The only thing I can control is how I’m able to approach those situations. And if I’m able to approach them with bravery, with a steady mind and intensity, then I’m able to look back and feel no regret.”
Alex Eala lost on Monday, all right. But she played bravely. She was intense. One could argue she gave her very best.
That wasn’t enough against Jasmine Paolini. Maybe it will be the next time around.
