Iga Swiatek gave a masterful performance against Karolina Pliskova at Wimbledon. But she is still taking one match at a time and is solely focused on her next round, where she faces Alexandra Eala, rather than thinking too far ahead in the tournament. The Pole is not making the mistake of underestimating her opponent, as she ensured to give the Filipino her due credit after the second-round win.

“I know how she plays because we play already, you know, and uh, she has a tricky game”, said Swiatek in her post-match press conference. “So I can assume that on grass it’s even more tricky because of the surface. So, for sure, she’s using her strengths, and um, the change in rhythm and everything. So I will prepare, you know, and I’ll be ready, but it would be a good challenge for me, you know, cuz, yeah, she doesn’t give that rhythm. So I will need to be ready for different kinds of shots”.

Swiatek and Eala have played twice before. The Filipino beat the Pole in straight sets at Miami last year, a win that shot Eala to prominence on the Tour. They also played later in Madrid last year, where Swiatek won, but even on the Pole’s favorite surface, Eala made it a match, losing in a close three-set battle. Even though Eala has made steady improvements to her game, the Filipino is not known for baseline power or a powerful serve, but rather for her slice and drop shots, weapons she uses to explore multiple court angles.

For Swiatek, the matchup is tricky, as she relies on her rhythm, which depends on a steady pace of the ball throughout the rally. Even though Eala’s serve is not the biggest, her left-handed angle will help her maintain high serve accuracy, especially on grass, where the wide serve can skid through. Swiatek, on the other hand, does have a dominant record against lefties, including head-to-head wins over high-quality players like Petra Kvitova and Leylah Fernandez.

However, the match will be as much a mental battle as a test of both players’ games, especially for Swiatek.

The Match Will be a Test for Iga Swiatek

Coming into the match, one can argue that Swiatek will be under pressure as the favorite and defending champion, whereas Eala is the underdog who will get a free swing at the former World No.1. Also, the Filipino is followed around by her loyal fans who fill the seats wherever she plays, and give her all their support, something that she can use against Swiatek.

Swiatek, on the other hand, capitalizes on her ability to run over opponents once she gets an advantage. The biggest example was how she beat Amanda Anisimova at the 2025 Wimbledon final, without dropping a single game. However, in recent times, the Pole has looked vulnerable with a lead, as seen in her first-round match against Taylor Townsend, when Swiatek broke down in tears after winning.

The match has also broader implications for Swiatek from a rankings perspective. Currently sitting at No. 3 in the rankings, a loss in the next round for the Pole could see her slip further down if the likes of Amanda Anisimova and Karolina Muchova have deep runs. Also, Swiatek is out of the Top 10 in the Race for the WTA Finals, and an early Wimbledon exit will see her miss the event for the first time in five years.