Mertens upsets Rybakina in Wimbledon 3rd round

Associated Press

Jul 4, 2026, 10:13 AM ET

WIMBLEDON, England -- Elena Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion, was upset in the third round by Elise Mertens 7-6 (4), 6-1 at the grass-court Grand Slam on Saturday.

At No. 2, Rybakina is the highest seed on the women's side to be eliminated. Her loss ensures that Aryna Sabalenka will keep her No. 1 ranking after the tournament.

Sabalenka faces Naomi Osaka in the fourth round Sunday.

Belgium's Mertens is the No. 25 seed at Wimbledon, where she has won two doubles titles.

Later Saturday, Serena and Venus Williams were set to play a doubles match against Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra. Organizers hadn't assigned a court, only saying that it will be played after 4:30 p.m. local time (11:30 a.m. ET).