Eala is once again Swiatek's nightmare and Wimbledon loses its defending champion

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In a Wimbledon 2026 full of surprises, one of the biggest has occurred: the defending champion of the women's draw, Iga Swiatek, will not be able to defend her title this year, after Alexandra Eala claimed victory in a thrilling match, where the tiebreak in the first set was decisive. Thus, the Filipina secured the win with a 7-6(9), 6-2 scoreline, achieving her best result in a Grand Slam and setting up a meeting with Jasmine Paolini in the Wimbledon round of 16.

How Alexandra Eala eliminated Wimbledon title holder Iga Swiatek

Eala has once again proven to be a recent nightmare for Swiatek. She made a name for herself in their first encounter at the quarterfinals of the Miami Open 2025, and although the Polish player leveled the head-to-head a few weeks later at the Mutua Madrid Open, the Filipina takes the lead again. This comes after a very serious match where she managed to withstand moments of high pressure, especially in the first set, where she saved two set points in the tiebreak. The 21-year-old prospect is now a reality and threatens to climb among the best tennis players in the world.

Advantage: Alex Eala 🇵🇭

The 21-year-old takes an entertaining first set 7-6(9) against defending champion Iga Swiatek#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Ak0Qy97AmA

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2026

For Iga Swiatek, her struggles are confirmed after an erratic clay-court season where she failed to capture any titles. Retaining the Wimbledon title was her last chance to turn the situation around. Now she faces a hard court swing, culminating in the US Open, where she will need to return to the path of victory in the form of titles. For now, this third-round exit in London costs her 1870 points and temporarily drops her to sixth place in the WTA rankings. Meanwhile, Alexandra Eala currently rises to 27th place, her best ranking so far.

With the defending champion's elimination, it marks ten years since the last champion was unable to defend the title. The last player to achieve this was Serena Williams (2015, 2016).

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Eala vuelve a ser la pesadilla de Swiatek y Wimbledon se queda sin la defensora del título