Wimbledon 2026: Kostyuk and Noskova into the Semifinals

Noskova celebrates maiden success

The Berlin champion, as Noskova has been referred to in media reports following her title in the German capital, appeared largely in control against Mertens. After winning the first set, she maintained her level in the second and sealed her place in the final four with 6-3, 7-5.

American Coco Gauff and Czech Karolina Muchova had already advanced to the semifinals on Thursday previously, completing the semifinal field. Gauff had eliminated Switzerland's Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals and now meets Kostyuk in the semifinals. Muchova, ranked ninth in the world, will face her compatriot Noskova.

Semifinal fields confirmed

This sets up what amounts to a German-Czech, or alternatively Eastern European, semifinal day on Thursday. While Gauff, a former Grand Slam champion and world number seven, is the clear favorite against Kostyuk, the matchup between Noskova and Muchova looks open on paper. Muchova showed strong form at the recent grass-court event and is being talked about at Wimbledon as one of the players who can compete for the title.

For Kostyuk, the Wimbledon semifinal is her second Grand Slam semifinal of her career after reaching the final four at the French Open. The Ukraine-born player, who has relatives in Austria, is regarded as one of the rising forces in women's tennis and underlined her ambitions for a major title once again with her clear two-set win over Paolini.

Noskova, meanwhile, celebrated her biggest result on grass so far at Wimbledon. The 21-year-old, who won a WTA event in Berlin this year, showed no weaknesses against Mertens in the quarterfinals and controlled the match in two sets. The Belgian, ranked 27th in the world, had surprisingly reached the last eight.

State of play for the tournament

The semifinal matches are part of an extensive program on Thursday at Wimbledon. While the women's final four is now set, the men's quarterfinals and the mixed competitions are running in parallel. The tournament on the London grass is one of the most traditional events on the tennis calendar and is being held in front of full crowds once again this year.

With the progress of Kostyuk and Noskova, the women's semifinal lineup is broadly international. One player from Ukraine and two players from Czechia stand alongside the American Gauff in the final four. In its second week, the tournament has shown that the new generation in women's tennis is producing top results in more and more countries.

Even before quarterfinal day, expectations had been that the women's competition at Wimbledon would produce surprises again this year. With the exit of last year's Wimbledon finalist Paolini, at least one of the established top players has been eliminated before the semifinal matches begin.

Gauff, who competes as world number seven, is considered one of the top favorites for the title and could, with a place in the final, reach her second Grand Slam final after the 2024 French Open. Muchova, meanwhile, reached the final in Paris in 2023 and knows the big stages of international tennis.

Outlook on the semifinals

The slate of semifinal matchups therefore reads as follows: In the first semifinal, Gauff faces Kostyuk, and in the second duel, Noskova meets Muchova. Thursday will thus feature both a Ukrainian-American matchup and an all-Czech duel, underscoring the particular strength of Czech women's tennis at Wimbledon.

Both quarterfinal matches on Wednesday lasted less than 90 minutes apiece, underscoring the dominant form of the winners. Kostyuk needed 69 minutes to dispatch Paolini, showing particular consistency on her baseline strokes. Noskova, meanwhile, impressed against Mertens with varied play and strong serves that earned her important points at decisive moments in the second set.

The semifinal round on Thursday is anticipated with excitement, as the semifinal clashes also raise the question of who will contest the final on Saturday. Wimbledon, alongside the Australian Open, the French Open and the US Open, is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments and is regarded as the most prestigious event on the grass-court tennis calendar.

In the tournament's history, both Ukrainian and Czech players have already caused sensations. With Kostyuk and Noskova, two players now stand in the semifinals who are looking to take the next step in their careers and qualify for Saturday's final. The Wimbledon tournament this year appears particularly open, given the young wildcards, the strong qualifiers and the balance in the draw.

Significance for the rest of the tournament

For the rest of the tournament, the outcome of the quarterfinals means that a volley of high-class matches can be expected on the courts at Wimbledon on Thursday. Local and international media are reporting extensively on the semifinal clashes and the question of which player will ultimately prevail.

Overall, Wednesday's quarterfinal results show that the women's tournament at Wimbledon 2026 has entered a phase of great sporting diversity. With Kostyuk, Noskova, Gauff and Muchova, four players from three nations stand in the semifinals, all of whom have the potential to reach Saturday's final and contend for the title.