Elena Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion, is eliminated from Wimbledon in the third round after losing to Elise Mertens. The matchup produces an upset in which Rybakina, despite strong past results, fails to advance. Prior to the match, Rybakina had won seven of their previous eight meetings against Mertens, but she is defeated on grass. Reports from multiple outlets describe the final score as 7-6, 6-1 in favor of Mertens, with Mertens taking the opening set in a tiebreak before winning the second set decisively.
Rybakina’s Wimbledon exit ends her bid to build on her Australian Open success. Coverage also notes that she had been aiming to win Wimbledon for the second time, following her January Australian Open triumph. Together, the reports present the third-round loss as a significant departure from expectations based on the head-to-head record, with Mertens converting her opportunity to advance.
