Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Series of First! Alexandra Eala and Iga Swiatek Achieve Maiden Milestone, Advance to Eastbourne and Bad Homburg Open Finals Respectively

Both players reached the milestone just ahead of the Wimbledon.

Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Two WTA grass-court events are going on ahead of the Wimbledon championship which is starting June 30. The former world No. 1, Iga Swiatek made into the finals of WTA Bad Homburg Open by beating Jasmine Paolini. On the other hand, Alexandra Eala got better of Varvara Gracheva in three-set thriller to reach the WTA Eastbourne Open final. Both players waited for this milestone for long time and they will now go for the title on Saturday.

Also Read: The 2025 Women’s Wimbledon Championships: Schedule, Top Seeds, Draw & More

Iga Swiatek Reaches Maiden Grass-Court Final in Bad Homburg, Extends Unbeaten Streak over Paolini

Iga Swiatek is known for her clay-court domination and but she struggled a lot on the grass-court. The five-time Grand Slam champion outclassed the world No. 4, Jasmine Paolini in the Bad Homburg semifinals. The Polish ace took just 66 minutes to wrap up the game 6-1, 6-3 and reach her first grass-court final. It was also the first final for Swiatek over the last one year.

Final bound 🔜@iga_swiatek reaches her first final on grass with a win over Paolini 6-1, 6-3!#BadHomburgOpen pic.twitter.com/1dhdtPaGlB
— wta (@WTA) June 27, 2025

The 24-year-old Swiatek got better of the second-seeded Paolini in the rematch of the 2024 French Open final. The Polish ace has now extended her WTA H2H lead to 5-0. It was also their first ever grass-court meeting between two WTA champions. Swiatek also ended her seven-match losing streak in the semifinals and will go for the title glory for the first time since 2024 Roland Garros title.

Iga will now face either Jessica Pegula or Linda Noskova in the WTA Bad Homburg finaI. Irony is when Swiatek reached her previous final last year, she beat Paolini to clinch her fourth title at Roland Garros. The former world No. 1 is eyeing a Wimbledon glory this year. This is only major event where she never reached the semifinals.

Alexandra Eala Becomes First Philippines Player to reach WTA Tour Level Final

Alexandra Eala created a history at the WTA Eastbourne Open as she beat Varvara Gracheva of France 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 in the semifinals. He became the first woman from the Philippines to reach a WTA final. It has been a glorious campaign for Eala ahead of the Wimbledon championship. The 20-year-old came through a qualifying event and held the nerves in a hard-fought semifinal matchup which lasted more than two hours.

Finalist in Eastbourne 🌟

A first tour-level final for Alex Eala who takes out Gracheva 7-5, 2-6, 6-3!#LexusEastbourneOpen pic.twitter.com/BSc7cvCs8B
— wta (@WTA) June 27, 2025

The Philippines’ rising star would be a player to watch out in the Wimbledon this year. Ela made into the semifinals of the Miami Open in March and overcame three Grand Slam champions, Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek. In Eastbourne, the 20-year-old defeated Lucia Bronzetti, Ostapenko (retired), Dayana Yastremska, and Gracheva to reach the final. Eala will face either Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Maya Joint in the final.

“I’m super happy.. There were really tough moments where she was playing well. I sometimes didn’t know how to get out of it. I’m really happy,” Alexandra Eala shared her thought after reaching first WTA final. She couldn’t control her tears while talking about the match.

Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Alexandra Eala

Bad Homburg Open

Iga Swiatek

WTA Eastbourne Open

Gulshan Sharma

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.