Elise Mertens defeats reigning Wimbledon women’s champion Elena Rybakina in the third round, winning in straight sets to advance to the fourth round. Multiple reports describe the match as starting tightly and with nerves on both sides, with Rybakina dropping a close opening set. After that, Rybakina’s level slips as the second set turns decisively against her. Mertens capitalizes throughout, taking control after the early stages and converting the momentum into a straight-sets win.
One outlet highlights that the result also ends a difficult stretch for Mertens, who enters the match having lost six consecutive matches before this victory. For Rybakina, the defeat ends her Wimbledon run in the third round, despite her status as the 2022 Wimbledon champion. The reports agree on the outcome, the straight-sets margin, and the key narrative points: Rybakina falls in a match that begins close before Mertens takes charge and secures her passage to the next round.
