Alex Eala barges into Wimbledon round of 16 with gutsy dethroning of Iga Swiatek

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Alex Eala once again gets the better of Poland's Iga Swiatek, the reigning Wimbledon champion and a six-time Grand Slam winner, to claim her place in the last 16

MANILA, Philippines – A new women’s Wimbledon champion will be crowned thanks to Alex Eala.

Eala extended her magical run in the Championships, advancing to the fourth round after a gutsy 7-6 (9), 6-2 dethroning of defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland at the famed Centre Court of the All England Club on Saturday, July 4.

Facing Swiatek for the third time on the WTA Tour but the first time on grass, the Filipina ace once again got the better of the six-time Grand Slam winner to claim her place among the last 16 players standing in the women’s singles tournament. 

“I don’t know how to describe it. I’m into the second week of a Slam and it’s amazing for me. Iga is a phenomenal player and a really nice person, so I’m really grateful to be able to share Centre Court with her in Wimbledon nonetheless,” said Eala.

The triumph marked a complete reversal of fortune for Eala as it came almost exactly a year since she was shown the door by then-reigning titleholder Barbora Krejcikova in her Wimbledon main draw debut.

But this time, it was Eala who sent the defending champion home. 

Eala showed she meant business when she topped a marathon opening set that lasted 1 hour and 24 minutes, outlasting Swiatek in an extended tiebreak, 11-9.

Swiatek, who became only the second player in the Open era — men or women — to win a Grand Slam final without dropping a set when she beat American Amanda Anisimova, 6-0, 6-0, to capture her first Wimbledon crown last year, moved on the cusp of clinching the first set by taking an 8-7 lead in the tiebreak.

That, however, did not discourage Eala as she owned four of the next five points to steal the set, much to the delight of roaring, flag-waving Filipino fans who came to watch her play.

Eala rode on her momentum in building a commanding 4-0 lead in the second set before Swiatek won the next two games to inch within 2-4.

Swiatek then came close to shaving her deficit to 3-4 as she gained advantage in the seventh game after an Eala error, but the Filipina held her nerve and won the next three points, wrapping up the match in 2 hours and 14 minutes with a booming forehand winner that sailed past her idol. 

Perhaps in disbelief over her latest feat, Eala collapsed onto her back, tears of joy streaming down her face.

Eala improved her record against Swiatek, the third seed and the current world No. 3, to 2-1. 

The 21-year-old Eala first beat the 25-year-old Pole on hard court when she won their quarterfinal duel in the 2025 Miami Open in the United States to become the first Filipina to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal.

Swiatek got her payback on clay, booting Eala out of the round of 64 in the 2025 Madrid Open in Spain. 

The win also allowed Eala to raise her record against top-10 opponents to 7-4, with her other big victories coming against current world No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the Berlin Open and No. 7 Coco Gauff of the United States in the Indian Wells Open earlier this year.

Up next for Eala is world No. 17 and 13th seed Jasmine Paolini of Italy. – Rappler.com