Elise Mertens knocks out Elena Rybakina and further opens up the women's Wimbledon 2026 draw
Elise Mertens achieved one of the most high-profile victories of Wimbledon 2026 so far. The Belgian tennis player defeated Elena Rybakina, the second seed and 2022 tournament champion, 7:6(4), 6:1 in a third-round match of the women's singles tournament. The match was played on July 4, 2026, on No. 1 Court at the All England Club in London, in a program that, according to the schedule, began at 13:00 British Summer Time. According to the official Wimbledon draw, Mertens entered the tournament as the 25th seed, while Rybakina was placed as the second player in the draw. The outcome resonated strongly because Rybakina had the status of one of the main title contenders on the grass of the All England Club, while Mertens, after a tense first set, completely took control of the duel.
The Belgian's victory was not only an individual third-round result, but also one of the key moments in shaping the second week of the tournament. In its report, the WTA stated that Mertens knocked out the second seed and secured a place in the round of 16, while the official draw confirms that she thereby opened the way toward a meeting with Marie Bouzková. In the same part of the draw, other highly ranked players also fell on the same day, including defending champion Iga Swiatek, which made the lower half of the women's tournament significantly more uncertain. For Mertens, this is a fourth appearance in the fourth round of Wimbledon in singles, after reaching that stage in 2019, 2022 and 2025, according to the WTA. For Rybakina, the defeat marked an abrupt end to her campaign at the tournament where she won her first Grand Slam title four years ago.
The tie-break that changed the rhythm of the match
The first set was the central point of the duel and the period in which it was clear why Rybakina had the role of favorite before the meeting, but also why Mertens is one of the most stable players on the Tour when she manages to impose the rhythm of the rallies. According to the WTA report, Mertens twice took Rybakina's serve in the opening stretch, but the Kazakhstani player answered with a break both times and took the set into a tie-break. In such an outcome, the calmness of the Belgian player proved decisive, as she won the additional game 7:4 and thus put the second seed under strong scoreboard pressure. After the match, Mertens emphasized that winning the first set gave her momentum and belief that she could finish the job against a player whose serve and first shot usually dictate the conditions on grass. It was precisely this shift in psychological balance that marked the continuation of the encounter.
In the first set, Rybakina was still managing to find solutions through the power of her shots and comebacks after losing serve, but the tie-break broke the continuity of her game. In the key moments, Mertens reduced the number of unforced errors, prolonged the exchanges and forced her opponent to play additional shots from positions that did not suit her. The Guardian described in its match report how the first set was balanced, but that Mertens used the moment better in the tie-break and took the initiative. On grass, where one poor service game or several lost points in a row can decide an entire set, such an ending to the opening stretch carried a weight greater than the score itself. After that, Rybakina had to chase the result, while Mertens could build her game from a position of leadership.
The second set turned into a demonstration of control
After winning the first set in a tie-break, Mertens played much more freely in the second stretch and read the rhythm of the second seed increasingly effectively. The WTA states that the Belgian won the final five games of the match and closed out the victory after 1 hour and 36 minutes of play. Such a finish shows how much the encounter changed after the opening stretch: what had been a tense contest with several turnarounds in the first set turned into a controlled finale by the 25th seed in the second. According to the same report, both players had ten break points each, but Mertens converted four, while Rybakina converted two. That difference in efficiency on return points was one of the key statistical indicators of the match.
The Belgian player made particularly good use of the width of the court and changes in bounce height, thereby neutralizing Rybakina's most dangerous pattern of play: a powerful serve followed by an aggressive first shot. When Rybakina was left without free points from her serve, Mertens managed to draw her opponent into longer rallies and pressure her with precise, though not necessarily risky, shots. In the closing stages, it was evident that the Belgian was not merely waiting for errors, but was actively changing the tempo, opening angles and playing deeply enough so that Rybakina could not constantly attack from a comfortable position. The Guardian stated that in the second set Mertens found a combination of defense, angles and touch that disrupted the rhythm of the Kazakhstani player. Although the final game brought tension, Mertens, according to reports, closed out the match with quality serving and confirmed one of the biggest victories of her season.
Why Rybakina's defeat matters so much
Elena Rybakina came to Wimbledon as the second seed, the current world No. 2 according to her WTA profile, and one of the few tennis players whose game naturally suits the demands of grass. In her profile, the WTA states that she has won 13 singles titles in her career, including Wimbledon 2022 and the Australian Open 2026, while the official Wimbledon profile confirms that her best result at the All England Club is the 2022 title. Before this defeat, she also had a convincing second-round performance, in which, according to the official Wimbledon report, she defeated Caty McNally 6:1, 6:2. That result suggested that her form on grass was improving after a more demanding start to the tournament. Precisely for that reason, the defeat in the third round, and after a second set in which she won only one game, carries greater significance than an ordinary early exit.
After winning Wimbledon in 2022, Rybakina remained one of the most dangerous players on fast surfaces, but her 2026 campaign ended before the stage at which title contenders are traditionally expected to raise their level of play. Before the tournament, Wimbledon noted that Rybakina could also open the question of the No. 1 ranking by potentially winning the title, but the defeat to Mertens stopped that scenario. The Guardian reported that the exit of the second seed also means that Aryna Sabalenka remains world No. 1 after the tournament. For Rybakina, the result is especially painful because she was in a section of the draw that had begun to open up after earlier surprises. Instead of a battle for the final stages, her London appearance ended already in the third round, which will probably be viewed in the analysis of the season as a missed opportunity.
Mertens confirms the value of experience on the big stage
Elise Mertens often does not receive the media attention of the biggest stars in singles, but her career shows exceptional longevity, tactical discipline and the ability to adapt to different surfaces. According to her WTA profile, the Belgian has ten WTA singles titles, a career-best ranking of No. 12 and a rich doubles career in which she has won 24 titles. She is particularly successful in doubles at Grand Slam tournaments, and the WTA states that in 2025 she won Wimbledon with Veronika Kudermetova, while earlier, in 2021, she also triumphed there with Hsieh Su-wei. Such a player profile explains why Mertens understands the specifics of grass well: quick reaction, positioning, a feel for angles and the importance of serving under pressure. Against Rybakina, precisely that experience was visible in the way she absorbed the favorite's surges and came out of them with a clear plan.
The WTA announced that this was only Mertens's second victory over Rybakina in nine head-to-head meetings on the Tour, and her first on grass. That fact further emphasizes the weight of the result because Rybakina had mostly found a way in previous meetings to impose the power of her shots and service dominance. After the match, Mertens stressed that this was one of her most memorable victories, especially because it was achieved against Rybakina at Wimbledon. Still, her performance was not only an emotional moment, but also a tactically very mature match in which she preserved her focus after a difficult first set. For a player who has never gone beyond the fourth round of Wimbledon in singles, the next match carries the possibility of a new step forward.
The women's draw after Saturday's surprises
The official Wimbledon draw confirms that Mertens will play Marie Bouzková, the 21st seed from Czechia, in the round of 16. Bouzková defeated Liudmila Samsonova 4:6, 7:6(3), 6:4 in the third round, and the WTA states that the encounter lasted 3 hours and 25 minutes and was the longest women's match of this year's Wimbledon up to that point. Such context makes the next encounter especially interesting: Mertens arrives after a major victory against one of the favorites, while Bouzková arrives from a long physical and mental test. The WTA also states that Mertens and Bouzková have split their two previous head-to-head victories on the Tour, and that this will be their first meeting on grass. For both players, a Wimbledon quarterfinal would represent an important result, but from different career perspectives.
The wider picture of the women's tournament changed further with the exit of Iga Swiatek, the third seed and defending champion. According to the official Wimbledon draw, Alexandra Eala defeated Swiatek 7:6(9), 6:2 and secured a meeting with Jasmine Paolini. The Guardian assessed that the exits of Swiatek and Rybakina strongly opened up the lower half of the draw, where the two most prominent favorites from that part of the tournament are no longer present. Such a development does not mean that the path to the final is simple, but it changes the distribution of pressure and expectations. Players who entered the draw as middle-range seeds now have a more realistic opportunity to reach the closing stages, and every next encounter carries additional weight because the tournament is quickly approaching the quarterfinals.
Grass rewards balance, not only power
Mertens's victory over Rybakina is a reminder that Wimbledon, although it often rewards a powerful serve and aggressive play, does not belong exclusively to the hardest hitters. The grass surface demands the first shot, but it equally punishes loss of balance, weaker movement toward the lower bounce and insufficient patience in points that unexpectedly lengthen. In this match, Mertens showed that a player with precise defense, clear serving patterns and the ability to change the tempo can neutralize the firepower of the second seed. Her game was not spectacular in a sensationalist sense, but planned, stable and adapted to the demands of the day. This is especially important at a Grand Slam tournament, where a victory over a favorite has value only if it is quickly transformed emotionally into preparation for the next match.
For Rybakina, the analysis of the defeat will probably be directed toward missed opportunities in the first set and a drop in intensity after the tie-break. The WTA data on break points show that she had enough chances to steer the match differently, but she was unable to secure an advantage in the long term. Mertens, on the other hand, withstood periods of pressure, then raised the level of her game in the moments when the match was breaking. Such a difference in conversion often decides the biggest matches on grass, where momentum can shift in a few minutes. Ultimately, the score of 7:6(4), 6:1 clearly reflects the dual nature of the match: a very tight beginning and a convincing finish by the Belgian tennis player.
The next challenge brings a new kind of pressure
Against Bouzková, Mertens will have a different task than against Rybakina. Instead of an opponent who relies on a dominant serve and direct points, she faces a player known for solidity, movement and readiness for long rallies. The WTA states that Bouzková came to Wimbledon in a positive run after winning the title in Nottingham, which means that her form on grass is not accidental. Mertens will therefore have to maintain the level of concentration from the second set against Rybakina, but also be ready for a match in which the number of points won through patience will probably be higher. The stake is clear: the winner enters the Wimbledon quarterfinals, a stage that Mertens has not yet reached in singles at the All England Club.
For women's Wimbledon 2026, this victory remains one of the results that change the dynamics of the tournament. It is not only a matter of knocking out the second seed, but of the way Mertens, after a tense tie-break, turned the second set into a convincing finale. In a tournament in which the lower half of the draw has opened up after several surprises, the Belgian tennis player now has an opportunity to turn a major victory into an even deeper result. Rybakina leaves London earlier than expected, while Mertens enters the second week with confirmation that her combination of experience, tactical discipline and calmness under pressure can bring down even one of the most dangerous players on grass.
Sources:
- Wimbledon / official women's singles draw – Mertens - Rybakina match result, seed status and next opponents in the draw (link)
- WTA – report and statistical overview of Elise Mertens's victory against Elena Rybakina in the third round of Wimbledon 2026 (link)
- WTA – Elise Mertens profile, career data, titles and results in singles and doubles (link)
- WTA – Elena Rybakina profile, current ranking, titles and career overview (link)
- Wimbledon – official report on Rybakina's victory over Caty McNally in the second round and the context of her form at the tournament (link)
- The Guardian – report on the exits of Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek and the context of the open women's draw (link)