The women’s singles draw at Wimbledon 2026 took another dramatic turn on Saturday as two of the tournament’s biggest favourites crashed out in stunning fashion. Second seed Elena Rybakina and defending champion Iga Świątek both suffered straight-set defeats in the third round, leaving the championship wide open ahead of the second week at the All England Club.
Belgium’s Elise Mertens produced one of the finest victories of her career to eliminate former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina, while Philippine rising star Alex Eala continued her remarkable breakthrough by defeating Świątek for the second time in their last three meetings. The twin upsets added to an already unpredictable women’s draw that has witnessed several high-profile exits during the opening week.
Mertens defeated Rybakina 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 to secure her place in the fourth round at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year and the third time in her career since 2022. The result marked a significant reversal in a rivalry that had been dominated by the Kazakh star. Before Saturday’s encounter, Rybakina had won seven of their previous eight meetings and had defeated Mertens in each of their last six matches, including a straight-sets victory at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Despite that history, Mertens remained composed throughout a tightly contested opening set. The Belgian displayed excellent defensive skills and consistency from the baseline before taking control of the tiebreak. Once she claimed the opening set, momentum shifted decisively in her favour. The second set proved to be one-sided as Mertens capitalised on Rybakina’s unusually high number of unforced errors.
She converted key break points, controlled the longer rallies and wrapped up the victory in emphatic fashion, allowing the 2022 Wimbledon champion little opportunity to recover. For Rybakina, the defeat continues an unexpected trend at the All England Club. After lifting the Wimbledon title in 2022 and reaching the semifinals in 2024, she has now exited in the third round in back-to-back editions of the Championships despite entering both tournaments among the leading contenders.
While Mertens has established herself as one of the WTA Tour’s most consistent performers over the past several seasons, Wimbledon has often proved to be her most challenging Grand Slam. Saturday’s victory equals her best-ever result at the tournament and gives the Belgian another opportunity to reach a maiden Wimbledon quarterfinal.
If Mertens’ victory was impressive, Alex Eala’s triumph over defending champion Iga Świątek may have been even more significant. The 21-year-old from the Philippines defeated the third seed 7-6 (11-9), 6-2 to continue what has rapidly become one of the biggest breakthrough seasons in women’s tennis. The victory also made Eala one of the youngest players remaining in the draw and reinforced her growing reputation as one of the sport’s brightest emerging talents.
The opening set developed into a gripping contest that neither player was willing to surrender. After exchanging breaks of serve, the pair entered a tense tiebreak that featured several momentum swings before Eala edged it 11-9 with fearless shot-making under pressure.
Having secured the first set, the Filipino maintained her aggressive approach in the second. Świątek struggled to regain her rhythm, committing five double faults and a total of 44 unforced errors, while Eala continued to dictate play with confident groundstrokes from both wings.
The victory was not entirely unexpected given their recent history. Eala had already defeated Świątek in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open in March 2025, announcing herself to the tennis world with that landmark win. Saturday’s success confirmed that result was no fluke and demonstrated her growing ability to challenge the very best players on the biggest stages.
Eala has steadily built an impressive résumé over the past two seasons. A former junior Grand Slam champion and graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy, she has become the first Filipino player, male or female, to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament in the Open Era. Her latest victory now takes her even further, making her the first player from the Philippines to advance to the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Świątek’s defeat brings an end to her reign as Wimbledon champion after lifting the title last year with a victory over Amanda Anisimova. The Polish star arrived in London aiming to defend her crown and add another Grand Slam trophy to her illustrious collection, but her campaign was undone by an uncharacteristically error-filled performance.
The exits of both Rybakina and Świątek further transform an already unpredictable women’s singles competition. Several top seeds have departed before the second week, creating fresh opportunities for players outside the tournament’s traditional favourites.
Mertens will now face Czech player Marie Bouzková in the fourth round as she bids to reach her first Wimbledon quarterfinal. Eala, meanwhile, has another stern challenge awaiting her against Italy’s 13th seed Jasmine Paolini, last year’s Wimbledon finalist, in what promises to be one of the marquee matches of the round.
With defending champions and former title winners continuing to fall, Wimbledon 2026 is rapidly emerging as one of the most unpredictable editions of the Championships in recent years. As the tournament enters its second week, the battle for the Venus Rosewater Dish appears more open than ever, with a new generation of players increasingly challenging the established order on grass.
