A new name will be etched onto the Venus Rosewater Dish this Saturday in south-west London.
Only four exceptional talents remain.
Roland-Garros 2025 champion Coco is the only one of the quartet to taste Grand Slam glory, so is the American the standout favourite?
Let’s take a look at the Wimbledon 2026 semi-finals, which are the marque attractions on Thursday at The All England Club.
💪 The context / The current form
On one side, Coco Gauff has the major pedigree, has the ‘been there done it’ factor. Just like so many of the greats the 22-year-old is rising through the gears at just the right time.
Ever since she truly burst onto the scene in 2019 with THAT victory over Venus Williams on No.1 Court, Gauff has been searching for comfort and success at Wimbledon.
Sure, there are frailties in the current Gauff game, yet the No.7 seed continues to advance with her trademark spirit. Gauff has now completed the set of all Grand Slam semi-finals.
Of course, Karolina Muchova will be brimming with belief. The Czech, who finished as runner-up at Roland-Garros 2023, prepared for the trip to SW19 with a grass court title in Bad Homburg, Germany. Is it time for Muchova to make another major move?
🏆 Their 2026 tournament
Oh, the world No.9 has been a delight to watch this fortnight with her variety, slicing, dicing, supreme net play. It’s a unique and mesmerising game.
Taking out fellow Czech, the Wimbledon 2024 champion, Barbora Krejcikova, prior to toppling another multiple Grand Slam champion in the shape of Naomi Osaka, gives you the clearest indicator of Muchova’s current groove, that she fully deserves the Final Four spot.
1st round: victory against Anastasia Zakharova 6-3, 6-2 (58mins)
2nd round: victory against Shuai Zhang 6-3, 6-2 (1hr 9mins)
3rd round: victory against Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-2, 7-6(1) (1hr 28mins)
Round of 16: victory against Barbora Krejcikova 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 (2hrs 45mins)
Quarter-finals: victory against Naomi Osaka 7-6(4), 6-4 (1hr 40mins)
“Oh my God, how?” That was the reaction of Gauff towards her team, having survived for a semi-final opportunity on Wednesday.
Wimbledon hasn’t been the setting for Gauff to truly shine in the major arena, well not any more. Consecutive three-set comebacks over seeded duo Belinda Bencic and Jessica Pegula emphasise this global superstar is finding her formula on the turf.
Even if it’s not all quite clicking, the archetypal Gauff grit (check out her second-round escape below) is shining bright en route to a finest Wimbledon campaign to date.
1st round: victory against Tamara Korpatsch 6-2, 6-1 (54mins)
2nd round: victory against Solana Sierra 6-3, 3-6, 7-6[10-7] (2hrs 8mins)
3rd round: victory against Claire Liu 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-2 (2hrs 26mins)
Round of 16: victory against Belinda Bencic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 (2hrs 18mins)
Quarter-finals: victory against Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 (1hr 48mins)
🆚 Face-to-face
Until recently Gauff would be a heavy favourite. Within 2023-26 the American prevailed in a Cincinnati final (2023), Grand Slam matches at the US Open (2023) and the Australian Open (2026) to open up a 6-0 record. Well, Muchova bounced back on the Stuttgart clay two months ago for a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 triumph.
🎤 Heard in media
Karolina Muchova: "Well, she is just a great athlete overall. One of the best in the world, in our sport. It was tough to play against her. I'm happy we have 0-0 on the grass. That's a bit better balance for me there.
“She gives you a lot of balls back. She has a lot of weapons. She is big fighter, which as well gives a lot things to her game to make it awkward for me.”
Coco Gauff: “Oh, cool,“ said Gauff, learning she’s the youngest woman since Maria Sharapova in 2007 to reach the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams.
“I didn't think this would be the year, honestly, I think maybe the biggest thing is the athletic ability that I have. I am a good mover. I think, because of that, it translates to all surfaces.
“I've been here since 15, I think that's also the main thing, having that early experience early on of making a second week of a Slam, having that belief.”
💪 The context / The current form
Two of the sport’s in-form players, this promises to be a pulsating battle.
Marta Kostyuk has backed up her breakthrough Roland-Garros semi-final quest last month. Free of the shackles of expectations and results obsessions, the Ukrainian is bouncing with joy (and twirling) in these major encounters.
Noskova has threatened a deep major run since being crowd Roland-Garros 2021 girls’ winner. A fourth round at Wimbledon last summer portrayed a player close to fulfilling her potential.
Fast forward to this grass court stint and the 21-year-old fired a major warning to the top tier with the Berlin trophy lift.
🏆 Their 2026 tournament
A couple of the scorelines suggest the world No.12 has been tested. However, if you need any evidence Kostyuk is a Grand Slam contender, check out the highlights of the 24-year-old’s dismantling of Wimbledon 2024 finalist Jasmine Paolini.
It was efficient, it was supremely athletic, it was a showstopping performance.
1st round: victory against Nadia Podoroska 6-1, 6-2 (55mins)
2nd round: victory against Anna Blinkova 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3 (2hrs 33mins)
3rd round: victory against Emma Navarro 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 (1hr 44mins)
Round of 16: victory against Ashlyn Krueger 6-4, 6-4 (1hr 23mins)
Quarter-finals: victory against Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 (1hr 9mins)
American powerhouse Madison Keys prevailed past last year’s finalist Amanda Anisimova in the third round. Could she add to Australian Open 2025 silverware? Up stepped Noskova.
The Top 10 talent edged the two-set battle, taking down recent Eastbourne winner Keys, with an authoritative display. On this evidence, Noskova is in prime position for Grand Slam glory.
1st round: victory against Ella Seidel 6-4, 6-3 (1hr 10mins)
2nd round: victory against Camila Osorio 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 (2hrs 1min)
3rd round: victory against Sorana Cirstea 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(9) (2hrs 16mins)
Round of 16: victory against Madison Keys 6-4, 7-6(2) (1hr 33mins)
Quarter-finals: victory against Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5 (1hr 50mins)
🆚 Face-to-face
Kostyuk finished the 2026 clay stint with two titles and a Roland-Garros semi-final showing. Within that 16-1 period, the Ukrainian defeated Noskova 7-6(1), 6-0 on the path to WTA 1000 glory in Madrid.
🎤 Heard in media
Marta Kostyuk: “I don't treat them as the same thing (Madrid vs Noskova), with two different tournaments and two different opponents. Everything is different, so...
“I feel like for everyone, grass is pretty unpredictable. Of course, there are players who are really good at it. But I feel like majority are still, it's up and down for everyone.”
Linda Noskova: "Well, she's a really tough one. She doesn't really give up. She's trying to play as fast and as aggressive as possible. We've had a match in Madrid, which did not really go well for me. I wasn't feeling too comfy on court. I will definitely try to change some things this time. Yeah, she's on a pretty good match streak, I would say, now. It's going to be a tough one.”
ROLAND-GARROS
17 May - 6 June 2027
