Wimbledon has found a new Centre Court superstar and the Philippines will only love their national heroine even more after a tearful Alexandra Eala dumped champion Iga Swiatek out of the tournament.
On a day of shocks in the ladies' draw, with No.3 seed Swiatek and second-seeded former champ Elena Rybakina, who was defeated by evergreen Belgian Elise Mertens, both departing, 21-year-old Eala stepped up to show why she's destined to be one of the next superstars of the women's game.
The 21-year-old left-hander, already an idol to 120 million Filipinos, first enchanted everyone with a brilliant 7-6 (11-9) 6-2 triumph over the six-time grand slam champion but then managed to induce a lump in the throat in every Centre Court spectator with her emotional post-match on-court address.
Enjoy every second, Alex Eala.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/ZBEcnJLm88
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2026
"For someone who grew up in the Philippines, I went to training with my brother and my grandfather every day after school with my ruffled socks and my light-up shoes and chubby cheeks, so to her, this is everything," Eala said.
Close to tears, she then regrouped and smiled: "But because I'm emotional does not mean I'm satisfied -- so yeah, okay, next round. Let's go!"
Swiatek, who came off worse in an epic first-set battle that lasted nearly 90 minutes alone, had looked to be regaining her best form with her second-round trouncing of Karolina Pliskova.
But Eala, who had beaten Serena Williams' conqueror Maya Joint in the second round -- the Australian may be feeling a lot better about that result now -- wouldn't stop her fearless and relentless attack as she pulled off an astonishing win to earn her first fourth-round date in a slam.
It will only elevate Eala's status in a nation where she shares top sporting billing with legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao, and she told reporters later: "It's an honour to be able to pave the way for young girls. It would be the honour of my life to be able to inspire others.
"The main message here is that I don't want them to look at me and say, I want to be the next Alex Eala. I want them to look at me and say, 'Wow, I want to be the first me. I want to make my own path'."
Eala, who has a message in Tagalog etched on her cap which translates as "once it grows, it cannot be stopped", will test out that motto in the fourth round against 13th seed Jasmine Paolini after the 2024 runner-up thrashed Greece's Maria Sakkari 6-1 6-2.
Rybakina, the 2022 champion who doubled her grand slam haul in January by winning the Australian Open, was baffled by her fall-off following a close first set, going down 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 to 30-year-old Mertens, who reached the last-16 for the fourth time.
"Definitely I need to analyse and change something, because it's not working," said Rybakina, who now misses out on her chance to become world No.1 for the first time.
On the fourth of July, there was a mix of US success and serious disappointment, which was headed by the no-show of Serena Williams, who withdrew from her much-touted planned doubles with sister Venus because of injury.
In an Instagram post Williams, who returned to the tournament after a four-year absence but lost to Australian Joint in the singles, said she was "heartbroken to have to withdraw."
Big-serving US qualifier Ashlyn Krueger enjoyed a comprehensive 6-3 6-2 victory over Ukraine's Daria Snigur, and there were July 4 fireworks on Centre Court as 26th seed Madison Keys upset last year's runner-up Amanda Anisimova 3-6 6-2 6-3 in a hard-hitting all-American duel.
With agencies
