Follow The Athletic’s Wimbledon coverageWelcome to the Wimbledon briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories on each day of the tournament.On Day 6, a rising star made her biggest move yet, there was British joy (and a nosebleed) and an American broke new ground on the Wimbledon grass.How did a country’s new sporting hero make a mark on Centre Court?Through no fault of her own, Alexandra Eala’s popularity and following has for a while been disproportionate to her achievements on the tennis court.Like the Brazilian João Fonseca on the men’s side, Eala, 21 and from the Philippines, has a massive following in her native country both online and at every event she plays.Her interviews are typically the most watched of any player on YouTube, and there tend to be long lines for her matches at tournaments when she is scheduled on outside courts. It’s partly her potential, and partly her status as the new sporting hero for the 12th-most populous nation in the world, with almost 115 million people.During the career of the legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao, national holidays would be called for his fights. Now, there are huge watch parties in Manila, the country’s capital, when Eala plays big matches.Eala has had a very solid career so far, currently ranked No. 32 after reaching a career-high of No. 29 in March. At last year’s Miami Open, a WTA 1000 event the rung below the Grand Slams, she made the semifinals. But at the majors, where players generally need to thrive to become major stars, she hadn’t gone beyond the second round going into this year’s Wimbledon.And then Saturday happened, when Eala defeated the defending champion Iga Świątek 7-6(9), 6-2 on Centre Court to explode into the sport’s wider consciousness. This was a fearless win from Eala, one that undoubtedly won her many new fans, both in the stands and watching at home on television.Why do players wear white at Wimbledon?Ava Wallace and Madison EadesEspecially after an on-court interview that showcased how natural Eala is in front of a microphone. “Maybe for someone like Iga who has won so many Slams … or maybe someone like Serena or Venus (Williams) this achievement may seem small, but for someone who grew up in the Philippines …” Eala said, her voice breaking as she trailed off.“I went to train with my brother and grandfather every day after school, with my ruffled socks and my light-up shoes and chubby cheeks, so for her this is everything.”In a news conference a couple of hours later, Eala said that although she is aware of the huge support, she recognizes the journey as a personal one.“ I’m very grateful and very welcoming of all the support that I get. I’m the one and my team is the one and my family is the one who have been putting in the hours. We’re the ones who are here at the courts 12 hours in a row. We’re the ones who wake up early, who come back home late.“I think that day-to-day work and that work ethic is really what keeps me grounded and keeps me locked in. Then I guess the responsibility or the effects or the impact I have on other people and the inspiration that I can bring is a result of that work ethic.“I try to be as authentic as I can. I believe in being genuine. I believe in my values. This exposure I guess or this platform that I have has really allowed me to self-reflect. It allows me to become the best version of myself, because I know that a lot of people look up to me.“Then again, I think the main message here is that I don’t want them to look at me and say, ‘I want to be the next Alex Eala.’ I want them to look at me and say, ‘Wow, I want to be the first me. I want to make my own path.’”Eala’s lefty game appears to be well-suited to grass, helping her to a title at the Challenger-level Birmingham Classic last month and then the semis of the Berlin Open. Her serve is underpowered, but she’s adept at generating spins and angles off the ground, and deprived Świątek of rhythm throughout Saturday’s match.She faces the 2024 finalist Jasmine Paolini in the fourth round on Monday next, with the chance to advance to the point of a Slam that has long felt inevitable.— Charlie EccleshareHow much drama was there for the last Brit standing?No-one was leaving their seats. People poked out of the hedges surrounding Court 18 and others were reminded not to scale the dustbins as they desperately tried to watch wildcard Arthur Fery, the last British player standing at Wimbledon.The 23-year-old, who studied at Stanford University, California, trailed two sets to one, and 1-4 in the fourth set. With heavy legs, he clawed his way back, grinding down Zizou Bergs to lead 5-4 in the fourth.