Iga Swiatek Makes Her First Wimbledon Semifinal, Set to Face Belinda Bencic

London, July 9 — Iga Swiatek has made it to the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time in her career, defeating 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 7-5 in a match that started smoothly but got tighter toward the end.


“Even though I’m still in the tournament, I got goosebumps after this win,” said a thrilled Swiatek, who will face unseeded Belinda Bencic on Thursday for a place in the final. “I’m super happy and super proud of myself.”


Bencic, who beat No. 7 seed Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2), is back in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time since the 2019 US Open. On the other side of the draw, No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will take on No. 13 Amanda Anisimova. Both won their quarterfinal matches on Tuesday.


Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion, has previously dominated on clay at the French Open (four titles) and won once on hard court at the US Open. But grass has been her toughest surface as a pro, even though she won the junior Wimbledon title in 2018. Before this year, her best result at Wimbledon was a quarterfinal appearance in 2023.


Now 24, the Polish star says she’s finally feeling at home on grass. “I worked really hard to improve on this surface,” she said. “This year, I feel more comfortable and more in control.”


Her solid run started just before Wimbledon when she finished runner-up at the Bad Homburg Open — her first grass-court final and first final of any kind in over a year. That slump saw her drop from the world No. 1 ranking to No. 8 at Wimbledon.


Swiatek’s rough patch also included a one-month suspension last year over a failed drug test. Investigators later found it was due to accidental contamination from non-prescription sleep and jet lag medication. On the court, her 26-match winning streak at the French Open ended with a semifinal loss to Sabalenka last month.


Against Samsonova, Swiatek looked in control, taking a set and going up 3-0 in the second. But the Russian fought back to tie things at 5-5. Swiatek regrouped, held serve for 6-5, and then broke Samsonova to seal the win.


“I’ll recover tonight, not celebrate too much, and get ready for tomorrow,” she said.


As for Bencic, the 28-year-old is making headlines not just for her tennis but also for her return to the court after becoming a mother. She gave birth to her daughter, Bella, in April and is playing only her second tournament since.


“I’m really proud,” Bencic said. “I never used to say that to myself, but after having Bella, I say it every day. We’re enjoying life on tour, creating beautiful memories. Playing well is just a bonus — I’m just happy to be back.”

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