Alexandra Eala shocks Iga Świątek in straight sets as Wimbledon champion's title defence ends; Elena Rybakina also ousted

The match

Alexandra Eala, the 21-year-old Filipina (one Spanish outlet reported her age as 23), stunned defending champion Iga Świątek 7-6(9), 6-2 on Centre Court in the Wimbledon third round. The first set lasted 84 minutes and featured a marathon tiebreak in which Świątek held two set points but could not convert. Eala, seeded 29th, broke early in the second set and raced to a 4-0 lead, closing out the victory in two hours and 15 minutes.

I don't know how to describe it. I'm in the second week of a Grand Slam, and it's amazing for me. Iga's a phenomenal player and nice person. So I'm grateful to be able to share Centre Court with her.

Świątek, the world No 3, made 44 unforced errors and struggled to impose her attacking game. She slammed her racket after losing the first set and shouted toward her entourage. The defeat is her earliest at a major since a third-round loss at Wimbledon two years ago.

Eala's breakthrough

Eala became the first player from the Philippines to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam in the Open era. She had already made history by reaching the third round, and her run has captivated a nation more accustomed to boxing and basketball heroes. Eala, a left-hander who trained at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, previously beat Świątek at the 2025 Miami Open and won the Birmingham Open last month. She has over a million Instagram followers and drew raucous support on the outside courts before impressing on Centre Court.

Maybe for someone like Iga, who has won so many Grand Slams, or someone like Serena or Venus Williams, this achievement may seem small. But for someone who grew up in the Philippines... I went to training with my brother (or mother, per one report) and my grandfather every day after school with my ruffled socks and my light-up shoes and chubby cheeks, so... to her, this is everything.

Świątek's struggles

The 25-year-old Pole has had a difficult season. She changed coaches from Wim Fissette to Francisco Roig before the clay-court season and suffered a last-16 exit at the French Open, her favourite surface. After this loss, she will drop out of the WTA top 10 for the first time since May 2021. Her normally reliable backhand faltered, and she missed several regulation returns in the tiebreak.

Rybakina also falls

The bottom half of the women's draw was blown wide open earlier in the day when world No 2 Elena Rybakina lost to Belgian 25th seed Elise Mertens 7-6(4), 6-1. Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, was unable to find her rhythm and joined Świątek as a high-profile casualty.

What's next

Eala will face Italy's Jasmine Paolini in the fourth round on Monday. Paolini, a former runner-up, advanced with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Maria Sakkari. Eala is bidding to become the first Filipino to reach a Grand Slam singles quarter-final since Felicisimo Ampon at the 1953 French Open.