Alex Eala braces for a tough semifinal clash with France’s Varvara Gracheva at the Eastbourne Open

Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala continues to shine on the international stage, living up to the expectations placed on her by advancing to the semifinals of the ongoing 2025 Lexus Eastbourne Open.

Eala booked her semifinal spot with a commanding 6–1, 6–2 victory over Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska on Thursday, June 26, needing just over an hour to complete the match. The 20-year-old displayed maturity beyond her years in a dominant performance.

She will next face a familiar opponent in France’s Varvara Gracheva in her first-ever WTA semifinal appearance on grass, set to take place at Center Court on Friday, June 27. Notably, Eala recently defeated Gracheva in the opening round of the Nottingham Open qualifiers, winning a tough match, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, just two weeks ago.

Eala anticipates another hard-fought battle, especially since Gracheva was once ranked as high as World No. 39 and is currently on a comeback trail of her own.

“Yeah, no, I played her just last week. It was a very, very tough match. So I’m expecting the same thing, you know, kind of like a big battle. Of course, I have had definitely a few more big matches this year than last year. But not to say that I haven’t had super important matches personally prior, or in the years leading to.

Congratulations, ALEX EALA!
Semis bound!🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/3T7j8suoRT

— ellai (@elieezzaa) June 26, 2025

“So I think just the experience from last year and all the experience that I have kind of in my life, I pour into every match,” Eala said in a WTA interview.

Despite a packed 2025 schedule, Eala remains physically strong. She heads into the semifinal after coming through qualifiers and playing three consecutive matches across back-to-back tournament weeks.

“I think physically I’m quite okay, considering coming from qualification, you know, and then having also a long couple of weeks prior. So, I’m happy. I think I just have to stay focused and keep that mentality going. I think with the conditions today it was tough for both of us. So I think I ultimately was able to kind of handle that a bit better than her.

“Yeah, I think that was it. My priority is to recover, and tomorrow I will be reset and ready to go,” she concluded.

Widely recognized as arguably the best young tennis player to emerge from Southeast Asia in recent years, Eala’s journey continues to capture global attention as she makes impressive strides in her promising career.

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