Iga Swiatek's title defense at Wimbledon ended in the third round with a loss to Alexandra Eala. The Pole fell 7-6, 6-2 on Center Court. Swiatek later criticized her own performance in the post-match press conference.
Swiatek made 44 unforced errors and converted only three of 11 break points. She lost the first-set tiebreak 11-9 after saving a set point and then dropped her serve three times in the second set.
During the match, Swiatek exchanged words with coach Francisco Roig. He told her, “She is not beating you, you are losing.” Swiatek later said, “In many matches, I just played stupidly and made poor tactical decisions.”
Eala, the 29th seed, reached the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time as the first Filipino player in the Open Era to do so. She broke down in tears afterward, calling the victory “everything.”
Swiatek, now at No. 6 in the live rankings, faces a possible further drop. She said she has no expectations for good results at present and is not yet at that level.