Defending champion Iga Swiatek was eliminated from Wimbledon in a stunning third-round upset Saturday, losing 7-6 (11/9), 6-2 to 21-year-old Filipino sensation Alexandra Eala on Centre Court. Eala, the world number 32, became the first player from the Philippines to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles event, dropping to her knees and breaking into tears after sealing the win with a forehand winner on her third match point. "It's incredible to have my countrymen cheering me on and knowing that we're all in this together," she said, dedicating the win to her family and to "all the little girls with ruffled socks and chubby cheeks." Swiatek, the third seed and six-time Grand Slam champion who won her first Wimbledon title a year ago by dismantling Amanda Anisimova in the final, struggled throughout, committing 44 unforced errors and failing to recover after missing two set points during an 84-minute opening-set tiebreak. It marked her earliest Grand Slam exit since a third-round loss at Wimbledon two years ago. Eala, who trains at the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca and had already upset Swiatek once before at last year's Miami Open, next faces 13th-seeded Jasmine Paolini for a place in the quarterfinals. Swiatek's exit came roughly an hour after another seismic shock on the women's side: 2022 champion and second seed Elena Rybakina was beaten 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 by Belgium's Elise Mertens on Court One. It marked the second consecutive year Rybakina has failed to advance past the third round at the All England Club, following a similarly early exit at this year's French Open. "If I knew why, I wouldn't be in this situation right now," Rybakina said of her recent form, adding that she plans to reassess her game ahead of the hard-court season leading into the US Open. Mertens, a two-time Wimbledon doubles champion now into the fourth round for the fourth time in her career, will next face Czech 21st seed Marie Bouzkova. Rybakina's defeat also has ranking implications: with the second seed now out, world number one Aryna Sabalenka is guaranteed to retain her top ranking regardless of how the rest of the tournament unfolds. Sabalenka is set to face Naomi Osaka in the fourth round on Sunday.