Filipina tennis star Alex Eala continues to rewrite the record books for Philippine sports after pulling off a stunning upset against defending champion Iga Swiatek, winning 7-6(9), 6-2, in the third round of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships on Saturday.
With this monumental victory, the 21-year-old ace—who had already made history as the first Filipina to ever reach the third round of a Grand Slam—advances to the Round of 16, where she is set to clash with Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.
”I don’t know how to describe it. I mean, I went to the second week of a Slam and it’s amazing for me. Iga (Swiatek) is a phenomenal player and a really nice person so I’m really grateful to be able to share Centre Court with her at Wimbledon nonetheless,” said the grateful Eala, who relished the opportunity in an interview right after the match.
Entering the match as the 29th seed, Eala endured a grueling 84-minute opening set. She initially squandered a 5-3 (40-30) set point opportunity and later saw a 5-2 tiebreak lead evaporate as the Polish superstar mounted a furious comeback.
However, Eala displayed immense composure against the reigning champion, enduring a tense back-and-forth before capturing the first set on her fourth set point in a thrilling 11-9 tiebreak.
Riding that momentum into the second set, Eala raced to a quick 4-0 lead. Swiatek managed to claw back two games, but the Filipina phenom held her ground, eventually closing out the historic match in the eighth game after surviving multiple deuces to dethrone the World No. 3.
”This is one of the biggest matches of my life, for sure. And this is my dream court, so I’m really happy with the atmosphere that you guys gave. Thank you so much for cheering me on,” said Eala as she thanked her Filipino fans who were there to support her at Centre Court.
The spectacular victory marks Eala’s second career win over Swiatek and her seventh triumph against a top-10 WTA player. By reaching the second week of the tournament, Eala is now positioned to become the first Filipino tennis player to reach a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal since Felicisimo Ampon accomplished the feat at the 1953 French Open.
Meanwhile, Swiatek’s title defense crumbled under the weight of 44 unforced errors, alongside two missed set-point opportunities that proved costly in the opening set tiebreak.