Photo credit: Jon Buckle/ROLEX
Wimbledon’s iconic grass courts were rocked by successive seismic shocks today.
Filipina phenom Alexandra Eala dethroned defending-champion Iga Swiatek 7-6(9), 6-2 on Centre Court in the greatest victory of the 21-year-old left-hander’s life.
An emotional Eala flipped her Babolat racquet aside and seemed to pinch tears of joy from her eyes after defeating Swiatek for the second time in three meetings sending the six-time Grand Slam champion packing.
“I mean I’ve been to the second week or the Slam, it’s amazing for me,” Eala said. “Iga is a phenomenal player and a really nice person and I’m really grateful to share Centre Court with her.
“For someone like Iga who has won so many Slams or someone like Venus or Serena this achievement may seem small, but for someone who grew up in the Philippines I went to train with my brother and grandfather after school with chubby cheeks, wearing ruffled socks…this is everything.”
Eala, who trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, continues her historic march at The Championships.
One round after she made history as the first player from the Philippines, male or female, to reach a Grand Slam third round, Eala scored her seventh Top 10 victory in style.
Hurling herself across the iconic Centre Court lawn, Eala impressed with her poise and deep desire advancing to a fourth-round showdown vs. 2024 finalist Jasmine Paolini.
Earlier, the 13th-seeded Paolini pounded Maria Sakkari 6-1, 6-2.
The day’s biggest upset, in terms of ranking, came courtesy of two-time Wimbledon doubles champion Elise Mertens.
Slamming an ace out wide, Mertens scored one of the biggest knockouts of her career stunning 2022 Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina 7-6(4), 6-1 to reach her fourth Wimbledon fourth round.
It is Mertens’ first career Top 10 win on grass—and her first win over Rybakina in five years snapping a six-match losing streak.
“Definitely one of the biggest wins of my career—especially here at Wimbledon,” Mertens told Annabel Croft afterward. “I’m just very, very pleased about my performance today.
“It’s the most iconic tournament, the most iconic venue. So much history, especially on this court. I’m taking it all in today.”
World No. 2 Rybakina, who arrived at The Championships needing to make at least the quarterfinals to have a shot of surpassing Aryna Sabalenka for the world No. 1 ranking, trudged off No. 1 Court suffering her second straight third-round exit after bowing to Clara Tauson last year.
Though Rybakina, the first woman since Serena Williams in 2004 to reach the round of 32 in her first six Wimbledon appearances, has an impressive grass-court resume, Mertens beat the big hitter to the punch time and time again. Rybakina, who looked lethargic as the match progressed, betrayed her own cause committing 31 unforced errors, including six double faults.
“I got pretty many opportunities in the first set to break,” said Rybakina, who was 2 of 10 on break-point chances today. “I lost my serve very easily with too many double faults overall for the match, and also
percentage of the serve. And yeah, the first serve was not really working for me today.
“I feel like the energy could have been better. So yeah, a lot of things which I’m not happy with.”
At times, the net loomed as large as the walls wrapping around the All England Club as Rybakina struggled to clear the net.
Make no mistake: Mertens won this match more than Rybakina lost it.
Blown out by Rybakina, 6-1, 6-3 in the Australian Open fourth round in January, Mertens gained major revenge today.
“I think in Melbourne, it was difficult to do anything against her. She eventually won that tournament,” Mertens said. “She won the Grand Slam there. I was like, Okay, I lost against her there.
“I lost against second round against someone who played the finals in French Open. I was like, Okay, let’s go now. But I think I was more steady, more ready for the bigger shots from her. I think I moved well today. Neutralized the ball a little bit better than at the beginning of the year. I think, yeah, I made it more difficult for her.”
In a match between reigning Australian Open singles champion Rybakina and AO doubles title holder Mertens, the Belgian played with strong self belief, slid slithering slices off both wings forcing the 6’ Kazakh to bend low and played more consistent combinations throughout. Mertens hit seven more winners—19 to 12—and broke one of the game’s biggest serves four times, including two breaks in a row in the final set.
“It’s a beautiful court to play at. I had some great memories already from last year there, too. So some good energy,” said Mertens, who partnered Veronika Kudermetova to the 2025 Wimbledon ladies’ doubles championship. “Yeah, I mean, she’s a tough opponent. I mean, the history is on her side here. No, I’m very pleased about the performance.
“Very happy that I could eventually win that first set. I mean, it was a little bit up and down at the
end. Close it out with a good serve. Yeah, I think I had the momentum there. I know I had to
keep my focus, especially at the beginning of the second set. But yeah, really wanted to win. Really had the fire in me today.
“I think, yeah, I’m happy that I could close it out eventually on that 5-1 with another good serve.”
Sporting green fingernail polish, a beaming Mertens was still smiling as she walked through the club high-fiving both lines of ball kids greeting her.
Elise’s excellent adventure continues. Mertens will meet either 21st-seeded Marie Bouzkova or hard-hitting Liudmila Samsonova for a maiden quarterfinal spot.