Aussie tennis prodigy Maya Joint is turning heads after clinching her second WTA title just a month apart, but she is already focused on her upcoming Wimbledon debut. The 19-year-old secured her latest victory at the Eastbourne Open, where she staged a remarkable comeback, saving four match points in a tense third-set tiebreak to defeat Alexandra Eala with a score of 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(10). This triumph made her the first Australian to win the Wimbledon warm-up event in its 50-year history.
Despite her monumental accomplishment, Joint’s celebrations were brief as she has less than 48 hours to prepare for her match on the prestigious All England Club courts. Speaking to Duncan McKenzie-McHarg from Stan Sport, she mentioned, “We waited until we were in London to celebrate. We had a really fancy dinner and went all out which was really fun.” Reflecting on the intense week, she noted the excitement of the crowd during her matches and the spike in heart rates among her fans, with many advising her to ease up on the drama in future matches.
Joint’s recent performances have propelled her from outside the top 400 to a career-high ranking of 41st, making her one of only two teenagers ranked in the top 50, alongside World No.7 Mirra Andreeva. Notably, both of her titles this season were secured just before major tournaments, including her victory in Morocco, which occurred just one day before she commenced her campaign at Roland-Garros. Although her time at Roland-Garros ended swiftly in the first round, she is hopeful that the additional rest after her Eastbourne victory will yield better results.
“I think it’s good to have an extra day,” Joint remarked. “I got to take a day off and then go back to practice. I’m just trying to forget about the last tournament and focus on the next match ahead of me.” For her first round at Wimbledon, Joint will go up against World No.19 Liudmila Samsonova on Tuesday evening, aiming to continue her impressive form on a grand stage.