THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2025

Alexandra Eala

Press Conference

B. KREJCIKOVA/A. Eala

3-6, 6-2, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Alexandra, tough one out there today, but how did you feel out on the court?

ALEXANDRA EALA: I mean, obviously the first impression was amazing, just to be there and to have that experience. Walking onto the court was an amazing feeling.

You know, in the end I'm just, like, super happy to have had that as my kind of debut, Wimbledon debut.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Sorry about the loss, but I think that there's a lot to take away from this. You took a set off the defending champion, and your grass warmup was great, getting up to the final of Eastbourne. What are your thoughts moving forward?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Well, no, obviously, like you said, so many good take-aways from this match. I think that, you know, at the end of the day she's where she's at for a reason. It's because of certain aspects of her game that she does very well. There are certain aspects of my game that I need to improve.

So obviously with time after kind of calming down, after all the emotions, I think we'll take a look back at it, and we'll identify those things. My coach probably already knows what those things are. Yeah, and then I can focus on moving forward.

Q. I was just wondering if you could talk a bit about the significance of the flower. I know you posted on Instagram. I wonder if you could talk about how that came about and how important that was for you.

ALEXANDRA EALA: This is so special for me. First of all, to just have something that reminds me of where I come from, of my country, and my culture out there on court, because I feel like that's what makes me special is where I come from.

Obviously everything else, how I play and my fight, the flower in the hair was an idea of Nike's. So the flower is the national flower of the Philippines. It's called the sampaguita. Kind of the whole idea behind it is, and I said on my Instagram, it's kind of you reap what you sow or what's sown will be reaped.

That was kind of the whole message was to have something, a piece of home with me on such an iconic court, yeah.

Q. You took the defending champion to three sets, so congrats on that. Also, sorry for the loss. What do you feel like was working for you in that first set, and what changed at the start of the second set that allowed her to go on that five-game run?

ALEXANDRA EALA: I think, well, in the second... Well, I think in the first set I was able to kind of like dominate her a little bit in certain moments. In the end I think it was just one break. I'm not sure. I have to look back. Then probably a difference of one break because I started serving.

Then in the next two sets, you know, I think she really did kind of step up. She was hitting quite close to the line, which she was doing kind of consistently, partly I guess because I wasn't making her uncomfortable maybe or also because obviously she's very skillful.

Credit is due. Give credit where credit is due. And obviously I just need to look at my side and what I need to improve going on, yeah.

Q. She said some really nice things about you in the post on-court interview. I don't know if you heard. She was really giving you credit. She said she was blown away by your winners in the first set. Your reaction to that. Then, also, if you could tell us what was going through your mind, you were fighting so hard in the second and third set, even if you were down by a lot. Just take us through how you navigate yourself at those moments that made you actually save a lot of points and really still be in the game even if in both the second and third set.

ALEXANDRA EALA: Yeah, I really appreciate those words from her. Obviously that was a very nice gesture. This match is my dream match, my dream debut. First Wimbledon main draw in Centre Court against the defending champion. It was such a pleasure for me to share the court with her.

As for the second part of the question, yeah, I think even though the next two sets, the scores were quite far, I think I had my chances. I think I did have chances, especially later on in the end, so start of the sets and ends of the sets.

It's just that I think she showed her composure, she showed her skill. She stepped up when she needed to in the important moments, and in the end that's why she got away, yeah.

Q. There were so many people cheering for you, like Filipinos who camped out overnight. If you could just say something in Filipino to both the Filipino fans that were cheering for you, and also international fans at Centre Court?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Well, of course.

(Answer in Filipino).

For everyone who was there cheering for me, from wherever in the world, thank you so much for all your support. It means the world to me to have people pushing me to go more and having my back when things get tough, yeah.

Q. It's just the start of your career, so you have so much time at just 20 years old. How do you like the grass so far? Last year even in the qualifying, tough draw for Lulu Sun who made the quarterfinals last year. How are you liking grass so far as a surface?

ALEXANDRA EALA: I've been liking the grass so far. It is a little hard to get used to at the start, especially because the season is so short, and you come from such a different surface, which is clay.

I think it does suit my game, and I do feel a bit more comfortable on it, yeah.

Q. What do you focus on the most from the switch to clay to grass? What have you been practicing the most so far?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Well, yeah, I think just the ability to be more patient on clay and actually kind of certain physical aspects that I am trying to maneuver still.

I think at this high level, quite frankly, I struggle a little bit on clay when it comes to certain, I mean, certain aspects. Obviously I've had great matches on clay, don't get me wrong. It's definitely something I still need to get used to, whereas on grass I feel like I'm a bit more comfortable. Like I adapt a bit quicker. The movement, it flows more, and everything just kind of, I feel like I have a bit more control, yeah.

Q. I know you had your family here today, and they were with you in Eastbourne as well. I wonder if you could talk about how important they've been to you throughout your life and throughout your tennis career and to have them here at such a big moment in your career.

ALEXANDRA EALA: They're such an essential part of not just my career, but my whole life. Family is important to me, and that's how kind of they raised me. They're always supportive. They always had my back. They always showed love.

For me to be able to share this super special moment, I mean, it's crazy because they've been there from the start like to now. They would go see me in the courts in the Philippines for my matches where the courts are cracked, you know, there's holes in the net, like the fences are nonexistent. You know, to come here to this, I said like the Vatican of all courts, it's like my dream court. I thought it was so important to share it with them, yeah.