Wimbledon’s opening week is legendary for its unpredictable drama, but day six just delivered the biggest shockwave of the 2026 tournament so far.

The Guardian Belgian veteran and 25th seed Elise Mertens pulled off a spectacular straight-sets upset on Court No. 1, dismissing the No. 2 seed and 2022 champion, Elena Rybakina, with a commanding 7-6(4), 6-1 victory.

How the Upset Unfolded

Heading into the match, the odds were heavily stacked against Mertens. Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion, had dominated their previous head-to-head encounters, winning seven of their eight meetings. However, the grass courts of SW19 proved to be a completely different story.

Sofascore+ 1 Set 1: A Rollercoaster Opener

The opening set was an absolute battle of nerves filled with constant momentum shifts. Mertens broke Rybakina’s formidable serve twice early on, only for the world No. 2 to mount a fierce comeback both times to stay alive.

• The Turning Point: Locked at 6-6, Mertens played an incredibly disciplined, flawless tiebreak. She neutralized Rybakina’s heavy groundstakes, taking the tiebreak 7-4 and snatching away the opening set.

Set 2: The Mertens Masterclass

Winning the first set completely broke the match open. While Mertens grew in confidence, Rybakina’s game completely unraveled.

• Rybakina struggled to find her rhythm, hitting 6 double faults and managing a low 42% first-serve percentagethroughout the match.
• Mertens took full advantage, stepping inside the baseline and winning the final five games in a row to wrap up the match in just 1 hour and 36 minutes.

The Statistical Breakdown

Match Statistic	Elise Mertens (25)	Elena Rybakina (2)
Final Score	7-7(4), 6-1	6(4), 1
First Serve %	64%	42%
Aces	4	2
Break Points Won	4/10	2/10
Total Points Won	75	60

What This Means for the Draw

For Rybakina, this marks a disappointing second consecutive third-round exit at Wimbledon. The loss also shatters her immediate hopes of overtaking Aryna Sabalenka for the World No. 1 ranking. Her patchy grass-court warm-up season—which included early exits in Berlin and Queen’s—ultimately foreshadowed her struggles under the overcast London skies.

On the flip side, this is a monumental moment for the 28-year-old Mertens. Known primarily for her world-class doubles success, the Belgian proved her singles pedigree is as sharp as ever.

“I just tried to stay focused on every single point,” Mertens said in her post-match interview. “Elena is an incredible champion, so I knew I had to play my absolute best tennis to have a chance today.”

Mertens moves on to the round of 16, where she will face Czech fighter Marie Bouzkova, who advanced after a grueling three-hour marathon against Liudmila Samsonova. If Mertens can replicate today’s clean execution and clinical return game, a deep run in the second week is well within her sights.