Alexandra Eala made more history for the Philippines as the 21-year-old rising star stunned defending Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek to extend her record run to the fourth round.
Eala, the 29th seed, won 7-6 6-2 in two hours and 14 minutes for the biggest win of her blossoming career as well as the most significant upset of this year’s Championships.
“I don’t know how to describe it. I’ve never been to the second week of a grand slam and it’s amazing for me,” an emotional Eala said on Centre Court.
“Iga is a phenomenal player and a really nice person, so I’m really grateful to be able to share Centre Court with her.
“I’m really emotional. Maybe for someone like Iga who has won so many slams or maybe someone like Serena or Venus [Williams], this achievement may seem small, but for someone who grew up in the Philippines….
“I went to train with my brother and grandfather every day after school with my ruffled socks and shoes and my chubby cheeks. This is everything.”
Eala won a titanic 85-minute first set on Centre Court, saving set points as she won the tiebreak 11-9, before breaking an increasingly erratic Swiatek twice in quick succession to seize control.
Despite getting one of the breaks back and saving the first two match points, Swiatek was unable to stop the slide, making more than 40 unforced errors across the match as the Polish star exited Wimbledon in the third round for the third time in five years.
It is the second time in Eala’s young career that she has beaten the third seed Swiatek, who won her sixth grand title by thrashing Amanda Anisimova 6-0 6-0 in last year’s Wimbledon final. Eala had previously made her big breakthrough when she defeated Swiatek when ranked 140th in the world and as a 19-year-old wildcard at last season’’s Miami Open.
Eala became the first player from the Philippines to win a main draw match at Wimbledon when she defeated Renata Zarazua in the first round on Monday. She then became the first player from the nation to reach the third round of a grand slam when she fought from a set down to beat Maya Joint in the second round on Wednesday.
Ever since her first win over Swiatek in Miami in March 2025, the 21-year-old has become a superstar in the Philippines, a country of around 110 million people which previously had little history of tennis success. As her following has grown, Eala has also become determined to represent her country on the world stage.
“This is my journey, I’m happy to be able to share it with everyone who wants to take part,” Eala said after beating Joint in the second round. “For me to be able to represent the Philippines in Wimbledon and in the biggest stages in the world, it means so much.”
On Centre Court, Eala also dedicated her victory to her people. “It’s incredible to have my countrymen cheering me on and, and knowing that we’re all in this together,” she said.
“So this is, goes out to them, this goes out to my family, this goes out to all the little girls with ruffled socks and chubby cheeks. It means the world.
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