On the back of Alexandra Eala’s white visor at Wimbledon is a message, written in the language of her native Philippines. It reads, “Kapag lumago, hindi na hihinto”, which roughly translates to, “Once it grows, it cannot be stopped”.
On Saturday, Eala’s blossoming development took its biggest step yet, as the 21-year-old knocked out defending champion Iga Swiatek on Centre Court to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon. It took an epic effort from the 29th seed, first outlasting the erratic six-time grand slam champion in a titanic 85-minute first set, then as she battled her own nerves in closing out the win of her life, 7-6 (9) 6-2 in two hours and 14 minutes.
