Wimbledon: Jasmine Paolini beats Alex Eala with 'idol' Federer watching

Italy’s Jasmine Paolini is congratulated by Philippines’ Alex Eala after winning their women’s singles round of 16 tennis match on the eighth day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2026. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP)

LIVE: Alex Eala vs Jasmine Paolini – Wimbledon round of 16

Jasmine Paolini reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in two years, edging out Alex Eala in a tense last 16 match at Wimbledon on Monday.

Italian 13th seed Paolini ended the run of Iga Swiatek’s conqueror Eala with a gritty 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory on Centre Court.

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READ: Alex Eala’s historic Wimbledon ends vs Jasmine Paolini

"He's my idol!"

A match Jasmine Paolini will never forget with @rogerfederer watching on from the Royal Box#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/1Uh95JxmKr

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 6, 2026

“I feel so lucky to have this opportunity and so lucky to get the win,” said Paolini, before addressing the watching Roger Federer in the royal box.

“He’s my idol and during the match I was like please stay focused and don’t think about him (Federer) being here… It’s an amazing feeling to be here right now with the win.”

Paolini will face Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in her first major quarter-final since reaching the Wimbledon final in 2024, when she lost to Barbora Krejcikova in three sets.

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The Italian was also the French Open runner-up to Swiatek in 2024.

She has struggled for most of this season but has rediscovered her form at the All England Club since losing the opening set of her first-round match 6-0.

READ: Alex Eala targets Wimbledon quarterfinals, more history for Philippines

“After the first set in the first round I was like ‘Okay, it can only go better’… point by point, game by game, I was feeling better,” Paolini added.

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The 21-year-old Eala had become the first woman from the Philippines to reach the third and fourth rounds of a Slam, but despite threatening a comeback in the second set, could not get the better of the wily Paolini.

The 30-year-old Paolini clinched a nip-and-tuck opening set with a break, having failed to serve it out in the previous game.

After the players traded early breaks in the second set, 29th seed Eala broke for a 4-3 lead and then held from 0-40 down in the next game.

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The left-hander managed to close it out to force a decider.

The vital moment of a nervy third set came when Paolini broke in the eighth game, before serving it out confidently despite falling 0-30 down.