Top five biggest upsets at Wimbledon 2026

Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek were knocked out in the third round of Wimbledon 2026.

For the ninth consecutive completed edition, Wimbledon crowned a new women’s singles champion, once again showcasing the depth and unpredictability of the WTA Tour.

Linda Noskova emerged victorious in an all-Czech final, defeating Karolina Muchova to become the youngest women’s singles champion at the All England Club since Petra Kvitová in 2011.

Wimbledon has always been known for its unpredictable nature, and the 2026 edition had plenty of surprises. Here we take a look at the top five results that shook the tennis fraternity.

Most shocking upsets of Wimbledon 2026

World No. 2 Elena Rybakina lost to #25 Elise Mertens

One of the strong contenders for the Wimbledon 2026 title was Elena Rybakina, who started the 2026 season with a win at the Australian Open.

However, the Kazakh entered SW19 on the back of poor form, and despite a strong showing in her second round, her troubles on serve and forehand were exposed against Elise Mertens in the third round.

The second seed failed to convert the chances that came her way, managing to win only two out of the 10 break point opportunities. The match eventually ended in straight sets, with the Belgian recording her best-ever outing at the Championships.

World No. 8 Daniil Medvedev lost to Jan-Lennard Struff

Daniil Medvedev’s disappointing Grand Slam run continued after the former World No. 1 suffered a shock third-round exit at Wimbledon, losing in straight sets to Jan-Lennard Struff.

The Russian held a break lead in all three sets and even served for the third set at 5-2, but failed to capitalise as Struff completed a stunning comeback.

The defeat extended a worrying trend for the 30-year-old, who has now failed to progress beyond the fourth round in each of his last seven Grand Slam appearances.

Fourth seed Ben Shelton lost to Otto Virtanen

The biggest shock on the opening day of Wimbledon 2026 came from World No. 140 Otto Virtanen, who stunned fourth seed Ben Shelton in a gripping five-set marathon. The Finnish qualifier saved a match point in the deciding 10-point tiebreak before sealing a memorable 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(8), 6-2, 7-6(11-9) victory after four hours and 21 minutes. I

It was a career-defining win for Virtanen, and his first-ever triumph over a top-20 opponent, ending Shelton’s campaign in the very first round.

Having reached the Challenger finals in Birmingham and Nottingham before coming through Wimbledon qualifying, the 25-year-old carried his excellent grass-court form onto the biggest stage.

Shelton, meanwhile, would have considered this a missed opportunity, as his draw was a favourable one, avoiding both Sinner and Djokovic until the finals.

World No. 9 Elina Svitolina lost to Daria Snigur

Elina Svitolina suffered an unexpected defeat on the opening day, crashing out to fellow Ukrainian Daria Snigur in straight sets. The eighth seed squandered a 4-0 lead in the opening set before Snigur stormed back to seal a 7-5, 6-2 victory, earning her first win over a top-10 opponent since 2023.

Svitolina admitted she was not at her best physically and struggled against Snigur’s aggressive grass-court game, while the World No. 77 celebrated the biggest victory of her career.

World No. 3 Iga Swiatek lost to #29 Alexandra Eala

Alexandra Eala dethroned the defending champion Iga Swiatek with a stunning 7-6(9), 6-2 victory in the third round.

The 21-year-old Filipina outplayed the six-time Grand Slam champion, extending her head-to-head lead over Swiatek to 2-1 and reaching the fourth round of a major for the first time in her career.

Her fearless returning and aggressive left-handed forehand repeatedly troubled the Pole, who struggled to convert key opportunities throughout the contest. The Pole has not won a title for over a year now and has slipped to #8 in the WTA rankings.

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