Alexandra Eala of the Philippines delivered a stunning upset on Saturday, defeating defending Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek of Poland in the third round. The victory marks the first time a Filipino player has beaten a world No. 1 at a Grand Slam, according to the Philippine Tennis Association.
Historic win for Philippines
Eala, ranked 78th in the world, won 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 on Centre Court. She saved two match points in the deciding set before clinching the win on her third match point. Swiatek, the top seed, had not lost before the quarterfinals at Wimbledon since 2022.
“I’m still processing this,” Eala said after the match. “Iga is an incredible champion, and to beat her here means everything to me and my country.”
Rybakina also eliminated
In another shock result, No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan lost to unseeded Czech player Linda Noskova 7-5, 6-4. Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, struggled with her serve, committing six double faults.
Noskova, 19, will face Eala in the fourth round. “I’m just focused on my game,” Noskova said. “Every match is a new challenge.”
Other results
Third seed Coco Gauff advanced with a straight-sets win over qualifier Emma Navarro. On the men's side, Novak Djokovic defeated Alex de Minaur in four sets, while Carlos Alcaraz swept past Frances Tiafoe.
