Paolini outlasts Eala to reach second Wimbledon quarterfinal, will face Kostyuk

Jasmine Paolini hadn't stepped foot on Centre Court at the All England Club since her gutting three-set loss to Barbora Krejcikova in the 2024 Wimbledon final. On Monday, she earned a measure of redemption, defeating Alexandra Eala 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in 2 hours and 22 minutes to reach her second Wimbledon quarterfinal.

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Facing a fan favorite fresh off a win over the defending champion would have been pressure enough for her Centre Court return. Paolini also had to do it in front of her tennis idol -- and the unofficial King of Wimbledon -- Roger Federer.

"Stepping on this court is something special, and I was looking forward to it," Paolini said in her on-court interview. "Here there is an amazing atmosphere. It's something else to play tennis here, you know, and I feel so lucky to have this opportunity. I feel lucky to get the win as well, and I want to thank you as well, Roger, because (you're) my idol."

With the victory, Paolini became the first Italian woman to reach multiple Wimbledon quarterfinals. She also became the first woman to reach a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal after losing her first set of the event 6-0 since Garbine Muguruza at the 2020 Australian Open.

Since dropping that opening set in her first-round match to 's-Hertogenbosch champion Robin Montgomery, Paolini has looked like a different player, a notable shift after months of uneven form. Her win over Eala extended her first four-match winning streak of the 2026 WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz season.

In that stretch she has beaten Montgomery, Viktorija Golubic, former Top 5 player Maria Sakkari and now Eala to reach just her second quarterfinal of the season and her first at a Grand Slam since the 2024 Wimbledon final. Across her past three wins, two clear trends have emerged.

Second-serve success

After finishing well above 50% on second-serve points won in victories over Golubic and Sakkari (58% and 54%, respectively), Paolini elevated her level again against Eala. She won 65% of her second-serve points (20 of 31) and did so on meaningful volume.

For a player whose first serve isn't her biggest weapon -- though it was more than adequate against Eala, one of the tour's best returners, as she landed 70% of her first serves and won 62% of those points -- second-serve reliability is essential. Paolini showed why on Monday.

It served as a crutch until she fully unlocked her first serve in the decider. Paolini won 94% of her first-serve points in the third set, dropped just five points on serve overall and didn't face a single break point. A timely ace, her second of the match, sparked a run of four straight points that sealed the final hold and gave her the win.

You can take the player out of doubles, but can't take doubles out of the player

Paolini has scaled back her doubles schedule due to a nagging foot injury, but her instincts at the net remain as sharp as ever. Over her past three victories, she has won 53 of 75 net points (71%), a stat that surely delights longtime doubles partner Sara Errani.

She took 27 trips to the net against Eala, converting 18 of them. It was a volley that sparked Paolini's first break of the match for a 3-1 lead in the opening set, and another that helped her consolidate for 4-1. After Eala leveled the match at one set apiece, Paolini's net presence again proved decisive in the third, with a backhand volley sealing a second straight love hold for 2-1 on her march toward victory.

Her success at the net allowed her to join Errani in elite Italian company. Paolini is the fifth Italian woman to reach three or more Grand Slam singles quarterfinals in the Open Era, joining Errani, Flavia Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone and Roberta Vinci.

Kostyuk awaits after reaching first Wimbledon quarterfinal

It will be a battle between the No. 12 seed and the No. 13 seed, as Paolini's win set up a quarterfinal meeting with Marta Kostyuk, who advanced to the last eight at Wimbledon for the first time earlier Monday with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Ashlyn Krueger in 1 hour and 23 minutes.

It marked her 20th win in her last 21 matches.

"I think I adapt really well," Kostyuk said in her post-match press conference. "I feel like today, you could see clearly how I was trying to change pace. I was not trying to overhit and give her more balls. I think just giving myself this freedom of trying different things is definitely helping."

Kostyuk mirrored Paolini's winning formula: she won 81% of her net points and 64% of her second serve points. She also finished with 22 winners to just 13 unforced errors.

She'll look to carry that level into the third main-draw meeting between herself and Paolini and the first since Cincinnati 2023. Paolini won both of those matches, though Kostyuk owns a win over Paolini from Cincinnati 2022 qualifying.

It will be their first meeting on grass.

"She's playing great tennis this year," Paolini said of Kostyuk in her post-match press conference." She's improved a lot. She can be really aggressive. She's a great athlete. She can move really well on court. It's going to be a tough match. We have to prepare well. We have to watch a little bit of her game style here on grass.

"We are in the quarterfinals, so it's normal to have these kinds of matches. Hopefully I can play good tennis and hopefully it's going to be a good match also for the people."