Jasmine Paolini defeated Alexandra Eala 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the Wimbledon fourth round on July 6. The Italian credited her idol Roger Federer, who attended the match for the first time.
Paolini secured her second Wimbledon quarterfinal berth with the win over Eala. After the match she said during the on-court interview, “I want to thank you Roger because he’s my idol. I was like ‘please stay focused. Don’t think that he’s here.’ I was watching all the finals in all the tournaments he played here.”
This marked the first occasion Federer watched one of Paolini’s matches at the All England Club. The 30-year-old had previously expressed admiration for the Swiss player during the 2024 Championships.
Eala entered the contest after defeating defending champion Iga Swiatek in the previous round. Paolini will next face Marta Kostyuk in the quarterfinals.
Fans in the Philippines organized a watch party at the Philsports Arena to support Eala during the match.
