Wimbledon 2026 schedule
July 4, Saturday – Centre Court
- 8:30pm – Alex Eala vs Iga Swiatek
LIVE UPDATES: Alex Eala vs Iga Swiatek – Wimbledon third round
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Centre Court. Centre stage.
Alexandra Eala vs Iga Swiatek.#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/8vn1F9SHOx
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2026
Iga Swiatek of Poland and Alex Eala of the Philippines meet within the third wound of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships. –AP PHOTOS
MANILA, Philippines —Iga Swiatek expects a “more tricky” match against Alex Eala once they meet within the third round of Wimbledon on Saturday (Philippine time).
Eala faces the Polish star for the third time in her profession–but for the primary time in a Grand Slam competition and on the grass surface— where the Filipino tennis ace has been playing her best tennis up to now.
Swiatek, the defending champion, knows the challenge the Filipino rising star poses after Eala reached the third round with a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 win over Maya Joint.
“I don’t particularly know her game on grass. Obviously, you may watch a little bit bit. But I understand how she plays because we’ve played already. She has a tough game. I can assume on grass that it’s even [trickier] due to surface,” said Swiatek in a press conference.
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines gestures throughout the second round women’s singles match against Maya Joint of Australia on the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Alexandra Eala became the primary player from the Philippines to achieve the third round of a Grand Slam within the Open era, beating Maya Joint in an “electric” atmosphere at Wimbledon on Thursday.
The 21-year-old fought back to defeat Serena Williams’ first-round conqueror Joint 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, roared on by lots of of Filipino spectators on Court Three.
“It’s obviously an incredible thing for me to do this for my country,” she said after booking a last-32 tie with reigning Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek.
“I actually appreciate that I’m capable of share this with the nation, but I believe at the start it makes me super proud due to work that I’ve put in.”
A historic day for Alex Eala 🫶 #wimbledon pic.twitter.com/LNdPll6STw
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) July 2, 2026
There was an unmistakably Filipino feel to the small arena on Thursday, and not only provided by her legion of enthusiastic fans waving the Southeast Asian archipelago nation’s flag.
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates winning the second round women’s singles match against Maya Joint of Australia on the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The journey continues for Alex Eala—and it’ll undergo a well-known foe on an unfamiliar surface hosting their duel.
The 21-year-old Filipino star heads into Wimbledon’s third round, where she is going to meet defending champion Iga Swiatek, hoping so as to add more days to what has already been a historic stretch for Eala at All-England Club.
The favored left-hander surrendered just two games in the ultimate two sets and took down Maya Joint, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, late Thursday evening (Manila time) within the second round of the grass court Grand Slam.
But things are about to get harder for Eala, already making history as the primary seeded female player from the Philippines to win two games at Wimbledon.
Eala and Swiatek have met twice prior to now, with each splitting those matches.
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