Wimbledon’s bottom half of the women’s draw was blown wide open on Saturday as the defending champion, Iga Swiatek, and the world No 2, Elena Rybakina, crashed out in third-round upsets.
Swiatek’s title defence came to an end at the hands of the rising Filipina star Alexandra Eala, who undid the Pole in straight sets 7-6 (9), 6-2 while the Belgian 25th seed Elise Mertens dismantled Rybakina on a dramatic day at SW19.
For a player carrying the hopes of an entire nation, Eala looked remarkably unburdened on Centre Court against the reigning Wimbledon champion. The 21-year-old produced the finest performance of her career, edging an epic opening-set tie break before racing away in the second to reach the fourth round.
“For someone who grew up in the Philippines and went to train with my brother and grandfather every day after school with my ruffled socks and light up shoes and chubby cheeks, to [me] this is everything,” said Eala during her on-court interview.
History was on her side before a ball had been struck. Eala had become the first player from the Philippines to reach the third round at Wimbledon, capturing the imagination of a nation more accustomed to celebrating boxing and basketball heroes.
Despite surrendering an early break, she refused to be intimidated by the defending champion. Eala attacked Swiatek’s vulnerable second serve, stepped fearlessly inside the baseline and repeatedly painted the lines with her flat, penetrating groundstrokes. Every time the world No 3 threatened to wrestle back control, Eala had an answer.
The first set evolved into a gripping tug-of-war. Eala broke back immediately after falling behind, served for the set at 5-3 and even held set point before Swiatek’s champion instincts dragged her back into the contest, forcing a marathon tie-break.
Eala surged into a 5-2 lead only for Swiatek to claw her way level. The Pole earned two set points, but both disappeared as Eala displayed remarkable composure under the brightest spotlight in tennis. On her third opportunity, after nearly 90 absorbing minutes, Swiatek pushed a forehand long and Eala threw her hands into the air in celebration.
Any hopes of a response from the defending champion quickly evaporated. Two early breaks in the second set left Swiatek reeling as her normally reliable backhand deserted her. Playing with supreme confidence, Eala dictated the rallies with fearless returning and clean ball-striking, repeatedly pinning the Pole behind the baseline to complete the biggest victory of her career.
“Because I am emotional does not mean I am satisfied,” said Eala, who will face Jasmine Paolini in the last 16. “Next round, let’s go. Being here is such a blessing. I’m taking it. If I have the opportunity, I am taking it.”
Earlier, Rybakina’s hopes of adding a second Wimbledon crown to the Australian Open title she won this year unravelled as Mertens produced one of the biggest upsets of the Championships with a commanding 7-6 (4), 6-1 victory on Court One.
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The opening set was finely balanced, with Rybakina’s trademark power matching Mertens’s relentless consistency. But when the contest reached a tie-break, it was the Belgian who seized the moment, edging ahead before taking it 7-4.
“I really took the momentum there,” said Mertens. “I was saying to myself: ‘OK, she has to win another two to win this one’. I really kept on believing in myself. I think that was the key. I raised my level. I didn’t make any silly mistakes – or not too many.”
Rybakina never recovered from losing the opener as Mertens grew in confidence with every game, mixing clever angles, deft touch and rock-solid defence to completely dismantle the Kazakh’s rhythm. A run of nine consecutive points in the second set blew the contest apart and, although Mertens briefly showed signs of nerves when serving for the match, she sealed the biggest win of her tournament with an ace.
It was only Mertens’ second victory over Rybakina in nine career meetings and she secured her place in the Wimbledon fourth round for the fourth time. The two-time Wimbledon doubles champion will now face Marie Bouzkova for a place in the quarter-finals.
For Rybakina, the defeat continues a surprising slide at the All England Club. After lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish in 2022, she has now failed to progress beyond the third round in her past two appearances, while her defeat also guarantees that Aryna Sabalenka will remain world No 1 after the Championships.
With the defending champion gone and the second seed joining her on the sidelines, the wide open bottom half of the draw has created a golden opportunity for a new Wimbledon story to unfold.
