Alex Eala impresses Barbora Krejcikova in tough Wimbledon duel

Barbora Krejcikova of Czech Republic, right, greets Alexandra Eala of the Philippines at the net after winning their first round women’s singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

MANILA, Philippines — Wimbledon defending champion Barbora Krejcikova tipped her hat to Alex Eala, believing she’s one of the next generation stars in tennis.

Krejcikova needed to overcome a first-set meltdown before taking down the gritty Eala,  3-6, 6-2, 6-1 win to advance to the second round on Tuesday.

READ: Alex Eala falls to Barbora Krejcikova in Wimbledon debut

The World No.16 player from the Czech Republic was all praise for the Filipino tennis sensation after a hard-fought first-round duel.

“I mean, I would like to start with giving the credit to Alex. I mean, what the hell she played in the first set. She was smashing the ball and she was cleaning the lines and all that, so, wow,” said Krejcikova after the win.

Eala erased a 1-2 deficit in the opening set before Krejcikova unleashed the heart of a champion to dominate the last two sets.

Eala is the only player representing the Philippines to compete in the main draw of Wimbledon in the Open era.

But she remains in search of her first women’s Grand Slam singles main draw win with another first-round exit after her French Open debut last May.

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines returns to Barbora Krejcikova of Czech Republic during their first round women’s singles match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Tuesday, July 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Despite Eala’s early exit, Krejcikova sees a bright future for the 20-year-old.

“Wow, it’s a next generation coming. She’s going to come up and she’s going to be really good in a couple of years. So, first of all, big credit, big credit to her,” she said.

World No. 56 Eala was just three days removed from her runner-up finish in the Eastbourne Open, where she absorbed a three-set loss to Maya Joint of Australia in a grueling final.

Krejcikova withdrew from the WTA 250 tournament due to a thigh issue. She is returning from a shoulder injury after missing the first five months of the season.

Eala competes in the Wimbledon doubles with German Eva Lys, facing Olga Danilovic and Anastasia Potapova in the first round on Wednesday.