Eala up to the task vs reigning Wimbledon champion Swiatek: ‘I’m ready for it’

MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala battles a defending champion for the second straight year in the Wimbledon Championships, and this time, she hopes for a different result.

Eala looks to keep her dream run at her favorite Grand Slam alive as she tangles with no less than reigning titleholder Iga Swiatek of Poland in the round of 32 at the All England Club on Saturday, July 4. 

A six-time major winner, Swiatek enters the third-round duel in formidable form following a 6-1, 6-3 demolition of Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova that came after a gritty three-set win over USA’s Taylor Townsend in her opener. 

“I think it’s going to be tough for me. I’m going to try to make it tough for her as well,” said Eala.

The match marks the first time Eala and Swiatek clash on grass after they split their first two meetings on different surfaces.

Eala pulled off one of the biggest upsets of her career when she stunned Swiatek on the hard courts of the 2025 Miami Open in the United States by way of a 6-2, 7-5 win to become the first Filipina to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal — a victory that propelled her to new heights as she cracked the world top 100 for the first time.

But it did not take long for Swiatek to get payback, the former world No. 1 claiming a come-from-behind 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 triumph on clay to eliminate Eala in the round of 64 of the 2025 Madrid Open in Spain a month later. 

While Eala has been remarkable on grass this 2026, with her record on the surface standing at 11-3, Swiatek left her mark on Wimbledon as one of its most dominant champions.

Swiatek captured her first Wimbledon crown in 2025 with a 6-0, 6-0 thrashing of the USA’s Amanda Anisimova, becoming only the second player — men or women — in the Open era to win a major final without dropping a game. 

Eala acknowledged the daunting task at hand. And if anyone is up to it, she is.

“It’s a different surface than we’ve played at before so I think there should be some different aspect than the last time,” said Eala. 

“She’s won a Slam on grass, she’s won a Slam on clay, she’s won a Slam on hard. I’m expecting a great challenge, but I think I’m ready for it. I’m ready to face it head on.” 

Eala has come a long way since she lost her Wimbledon main draw debut at the hands of 2024 winner Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. 

Seeded in a Grand Slam for the first time in her career at No. 29, the 21-year-old Filipina made quick work of Mexico’s Renata Zarazua, 6-1, 6-2, to begin the tournament then exacted revenge on Australia’s Maya Joint, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, to earn her first third-round appearance in a major. 

“It’s an amazing thing for me to be able to do that for my country. But I guess it’s also very emotional every time I’m able to pass a new step or break new ground just because it’s also personal goals and personal achievements. It’s things that I’ve been working really hard for, it’s things that my team has been working really hard for,” said Eala. 

“I really appreciate that I’m able to try this for the nation, but I think first and foremost, it makes me super proud because of the work that I’ve put in.” – Rappler.com