Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala expressed her heartfelt gratitude to supporters after completing a stirring comeback victory over Australia's Maya Joint, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, to reach the third round of Wimbledon. The 21-year-old No. 29 seed sealed the win with back-to-back aces, delighting the Filipino crowd at the All England Club Court 3 on Thursday night, July 2, 2026 (PH time).
Avenging a Previous Loss
Eala also avenged her loss to Joint in the Eastbourne final in June last year. She will next face defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland for a spot in the Round of 16 on Saturday. Swiatek needed only 70 minutes to oust Karolina Pliskova, 6-1, 6-3.
Eala upset Swiatek, 6-2, 6-5, in the Miami Open quarterfinals on March 27, 2025, but the Polish tennis star took revenge when they met again in the Round of 64 of the Madrid Open on April 24, 2025.
Zverev and Rybakina Also Advance
Top contenders continued to make their mark at Wimbledon as men's second seed Alexander Zverev and former women's champion Elena Rybakina also advanced comfortably to the third round.
Zverev produced an assured performance to defeat France's Valentin Royer 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (3) on Court One. The German struck 14 aces and converted five break points to secure his 50th tour-level victory on grass and extend his winning streak at Grand Slam events to nine matches.
Zverev, who has never advanced beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon despite reaching Grand Slam finals on all other surfaces, will next face American Marcos Giron, who beat Quentin Halys of France 7-6 (7), 6-3, 6-4.
Other Men's Results
Elsewhere in the men's draw, fifth seed Alex de Minaur delivered a dominant 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over veteran Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, while sixth seed Taylor Fritz continued his impressive grass-court form with a 6-2, 6-2, 7-5 win against compatriot Patrick Kypson.
Belgium's Zizou Bergs extended his breakthrough Wimbledon run by defeating Jaime Faria 7-6 (8), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the third round for the first time, while ninth seed Flavio Cobolli also progressed after overcoming Australia's James Duckworth, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-1.
Women's Draw Updates
In the women's competition, Rybakina responded with an equally commanding display, dispatching American Caty McNally 6-1, 6-2 to set up a third-round meeting with Belgium's Elise Mertens. The Kazakh, who lifted the Wimbledon title in 2022, remains among the leading contenders for the championship. Mertens rallied past Maria Timofeeva, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.
Sixth seed Amanda Anisimova survived a major test, defeating fellow American Sofia Kenin 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (10-3) after a deciding match tiebreak. Anisimova will next face compatriot Madison Keys, who ended British hopes by defeating Katie Swan 6-1, 6-4.
