“For someone like me, this is everything” – Eala dethrones champion Swiatek at Wimbledon
In tears on Centre Court, a crosscourt forehand still ringing in her ears: Alexandra Eala (No 29) stunned defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6 (9), 6-2, saving two set points, dethroning a champion and becoming the first Filipino ever to reach a Grand Slam’s second week, as the Pole tumbled out of the top five.
Alexandra Eala, Wimbledon 2026 | © Schreyer/Psnewz
Filipino seed No 29 Alexandra Eala produced the finest performance of her career on Saturday, beating defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6 (9), 6-2 to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon and become the first Filipino player, man or woman, to reach the second week of a Grand Slam in the Open era.
The 21-year-old was utterly fearless against the Pole, and sealed the biggest win of her life on a booming crosscourt forehand before dissolving into tears on the court.
For Eala, this was the fulfilment of a dream carried since childhood in Manila. “For someone who grew up in the Philippines, this is everything,” she said, her composure giving way. She painted the picture herself – the girl who went to stay with her brother and her godfather after school “with my ruffled socks, my lit-up shoes and my chubby cheeks” – and set her achievement against the giants of the game.
“Maybe for someone like Iga, who has won so many Slams, or someone like Serena or Venus, this may seem small,” she said. “But for someone like me, this is everything.” She was quick to add that the emotion did not mean she was content. “Just because I’m emotional does not mean I’m satisfied. Next round, let’s go.”
The match hinged on a first set of the highest tension: Swiatek, the third seed, held set points in the tie-break at 6-5 and again at 8-7, but Eala saved both and took the breaker 11-9 to seize the initiative.
Once ahead, she surged clear, running away with the second set 6-2 as the champion’s hold on her title slipped away. The win moved Eala in front 2-1 in their head-to-head and was the fifth top-10 victory of her season.
The defeat carried a heavy cost for Swiatek beyond the loss of her crown. The result will drop her from No 3 to No 6 in the rankings after this week, sending the former world No 1 out of the top five, a striking fall for a player who has spent much of her career at the summit of the game.
Swiatek out of the Top 5
Eala was overwhelmed as she tried to make sense of the moment. She had reached the third round with wins over Australian Maya Joint (3-6, 6-2, 6-0), who had beaten Serena Williams in the opening round, and Mexican Renata Zarazua (6-1, 6-2), building through the fortnight towards the biggest result of her life.
Swiatek, for her part, had looked vulnerable even in victory earlier in the week, surviving a second-set wobble against American Taylor Townsend (6-1, 2-6, 6-3) after opening against Czech Karolina Pliskova (6-1, 6-3).
Eala will next face Italian 13th seed Jasmine Paolini, the 2024 Roland-Garros and Wimbledon finalist, for a place in the quarter-finals.
Eala’s win was the centrepiece of a day of upheaval in the women’s draw. Barely an hour earlier, second seed Elena Rybakina had gone out too, the 2022 champion beaten 7-6 (4), 6-1 by Belgian seed No 25 Elise Mertens, a result that ended the Kazakh’s bid for the world No 1 ranking. With Swiatek dethroned and Rybakina gone within a few hours of one another, the bottom half of the draw has been blown wide open – and Madison Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion, is now the only former Grand Slam winner left in this part of it.
