Wimbledon will stage a repeat of one of the most memorable Eastbourne Open finals, when Maya Joint takes on Alexandra Eala in the second round at SW19.

The pair produced a classic in the Devonshire Park final in 2025, with Joint edging a dramatic contest 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10) to lift the title after more than two hours of high-quality tennis.

The championship match was notable, even before a ball was hit, as the players’ combined ages of 39 made it the tournament's second-youngest final. Remarkably, the 2026 final – between Madison Keys and Tatjana Maria was the oldest women's singles final ever played at Eastbourne – with a combined age of 69.

Now Eala, 21, and Joint, 20, meet again on an even bigger stage, with a place in the third round of Wimbledon at stake.

Wimbledon will stage a repeat of one of the most memorable Eastbourne Open finals, when Maya Joint takes on Alexandra Eala in the second round at SW19. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images for LTA)

placeholder image — Wimbledon will stage a repeat of one of the most memorable Eastbourne Open finals, when Maya Joint takes on Alexandra Eala in the second round at SW19. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images for LTA)

Joint earned the rematch after producing an eye-catching opening-round victory over the legendary Serena Williams, 44, before admitting the occasion had left her overwhelmed. Williams is 24 years older than Joint, who was born seven years after Serena won her first of 23 Grand Slams in singles.

"I didn't get much sleep last night," Joint said, post-match.

"I was up to, like, 2am. just thinking about it.

"Walking out, I forgot the warm-up. I don't know what happened. My legs weren't moving. I really don't know how I got a pretty good start in the match.

"She has such an aura. She's such a legend, and this court has so many huge names that have played on it.

"I've been dreaming about this moment since I was a little kid, so this is pretty crazy."

Williams was unable to attend her post-match press conference but, in quotes released afterwards, she reflected on her return.

"It was really great to be back at Wimbledon. I never expected to be here,” she said.

"The atmosphere was amazing. Walking out was amazing.

"I definitely relished it and missed it and enjoyed the moment more than anything."

Eala, meanwhile, cruised into the second round with an emphatic victory over Renata Zarazúa, dropping just three games.

The pair know each other's games well after their gripping battle on the Sussex south coast, where momentum swung repeatedly – before Joint held her nerve in a deciding-set tie-break to claim the title.

With both players arriving in confident mood after fine first-round performances, their Wimbledon meeting has all the ingredients to be another entertaining contest, with memories of that thrilling afternoon at Devonshire Park still fresh.

Meanwhile, there was another Eastbourne final rematch at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

Belgium's Zizou Bergs backed up his triumph, at Devonshire Park, over Ugo Humbert – by beating the Frenchman once again at SW19. Bergs eventually prevailed in five sets after Humbert fought back from two sets down to force a dramatic finish.