Australian Open winner Rybakina eliminated in Wimbledon third round by Mertens

The first set was extremely even. Rybakina rescued herself into the tiebreak after several tight service games, where she was only able to stay level until 3:3. The Belgian then dominated the match at will, winning four games in a row and advancing to the Wimbledon round of 16 for the fourth time in her career.

Rybakina's chances of becoming world number one dashed

For the world number two, the disappointment is particularly great, as she had needed to reach at least the quarterfinals to be able to overtake Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka at the top of the WTA rankings. That opportunity is now gone. The last player to win Wimbledon in two consecutive years was Serena Williams with her triumphs in 2015 and 2016.

Mertens was visibly relieved and happy after the upset. „Ich bin glücklich, dass ich den ersten Satz gewonnen habe, dann war das Momentum auf meiner Seite“, said the Belgian after the triumph. She added: „Ich habe aktuell kaum Worte, fühle mich toll.“ The Belgian had consistently pressured Rybakina's first service returns and kept her own serving stable throughout.

Mertens in seventh heaven: „Habe kaum Worte

In the round of 16, Mertens now faces the next hurdle: the 21st-seeded Czech Marie Bouzkova. Bouzkova had won her third-round match against Liudmila Samsonova 4:6, 7:6 (7/3), 6:4. Mertens has reached the Wimbledon round of 16 in 2019, 2022, and 2025 and now aims to reach the quarterfinals at the All England Club for the first time on her fourth attempt.

In parallel, the sensation of the day had already taken place. The 21-year-old Philippine Alexandra Eala, currently world number 32, had beaten Poland's Iga Swiatek, who had yet to find her top form this season, 7:6 (11:9), 6:2. The third-seeded defending champion thus had to bid farewell to the tournament far below her own expectations.

Eala knocks out defending champion Swiatek

Eala had been forced into a tiebreak in the first set despite holding her own 5:3 lead, in which she had to fend off two set points from the Pole. At 6:5 and 8:7, Swiatek in turn squandered two set points before Eala converted her third chance to make it 11:9 – after 85 minutes of pure playing time in the tiebreak alone. Eala then raced to a 4:0 lead with four games in a row, before Swiatek fought her way back to 2:4 in an effort to close the gap.

The Filipino fended off two match points before converting her third match point after 2:15 hours to seal the celebrated 6:7, 2:6 final score. Swiatek, who had yet to find her rhythm this season as desired, was ultimately confronted with an impressive performance from the young wildcard player. For Eala, it was by far the biggest victory of her still young career.

In the round of 16, the Filipino now faces Italy's Jasmine Paolini, seeded 17th, who had overcome Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic. It is Eala's first Grand Slam round of 16 ever and another milestone in a remarkable tournament week. For Swiatek, it is the earliest Wimbledon defeat of her career.

Men's draw: de Minaur labours past Svajda

The men's draw also had its stories on Saturday. Australia's Alex de Minaur, seeded fifth, had more trouble than expected against the ailing American Zachary Svajda, but ultimately prevailed 6:2, 5:7, 6:2, 6:4. „Ich versuche ein bisschen zu fliegen wie die Tormänner bei der Fußball-WM und hoffe, so weit wie möglich zu kommen“, said de Minaur after the first-ever meeting with Svajda.

At 5:2 in the third set, Eala against Swiatek still had to fend off four break points, which she managed with bravura. The 21-year-old showed great nerve and proved that she can hold her own at the highest level even under pressure. Her best Grand Slam result prior to this had been a semifinal at the 2018 Australian Open, although this information could not be conclusively verified from additional sources.

Two upsets, two surprises

Wimbledon's Saturday will thus go down in tournament history as one of the most surprising matchdays. With Swiatek and Rybakina, the world number three and number two departed within a few hours. Both players had belonged to the narrowest circle of title favorites at the All England Club before the tournament began.

Rybakina and Swiatek, meanwhile, look back on a disappointing grass season. While the Kazakh was unable to defend her 2022 Wimbledon title and could not carry her January Australian Open form into the summer, the Pole continues to struggle with her season record. Both will fight for rhythm in the coming weeks during their preparations for the hardcourt summer season.

For Elise Mertens and Alexandra Eala, however, the Wimbledon adventure continues. The Belgian faces Bouzkova in the round of 16 on Monday, while the Filipino takes on Paolini. At least two faces in the round of 16 are thus ones hardly anyone had on their radar before this tournament.