Marta Kostyuk and Linda Noskova reach Wimbledon semis
Marta Kostyuk and Linda Noskova both reached their first Wimbledon semifinals on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, after straight-set quarterfinal wins. Kostyuk beat Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 on Centre Court, while Noskova defeated Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5. They meet Thursday for a spot in Saturday's women's final. The winner faces either Coco Gauff or Karolina Muchova in the championship match.
Key Takeaways
- Kostyuk overpowered 2024 runner-up Paolini in 69 minutes on her Centre Court debut.
- Noskova, 21, reached her first Grand Slam semifinal and is 10-1 on grass this season.
- Both players are chasing their maiden major singles titles at the All England Club.
- Kostyuk leads their head-to-head 1-0 after winning at the Madrid Open in May.
- Three semifinalists are under 25 — the most at Wimbledon since 2014.
How did Kostyuk beat Jasmine Paolini?
The 24-year-old Ukrainian No. 12 seed delivered a statement performance on grass. She broke Paolini in the fifth game of the opening set and again in the ninth to take it 6-3, then repeated the pattern in the second for a 6-2 finish, according to BBC Sport.
Paolini, the 2024 Wimbledon runner-up, managed just eight winners against 26 unforced errors. Kostyuk struck 19 winners with 19 unforced errors of her own. After match point, she dropped to her knees, shook hands, and celebrated with a pirouette on court.
Kostyuk dedicated the win to her grandfather in Ukraine. Wimbledon had been the only Grand Slam where she had not reached the fourth round, and she had never played a WTA Tour-level grass quarterfinal before this run.
What path did Noskova take to the semifinals?
Czech No. 9 seed Linda Noskova beat Belgian No. 25 Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5 on No. 1 Court to join Kostyuk in the last four, ESPN reported.
It is the 21-year-old's first career Grand Slam semifinal. She improved to 10-1 on grass this season and leads the women's tour with 18 grass-court match wins over the past two seasons. Noskova continued a strong Czech tradition at Wimbledon alongside fellow semifinalist Karolina Muchova.
When is Kostyuk vs. Noskova and who is favored?
The semifinal is scheduled for Thursday, July 9, on Centre Court, with play expected around 9:40 a.m. ET after the Gauff–Muchova match, per SportsLine.
Odds listed Kostyuk as a -138 favorite and Noskova at +115, with the over/under set at 22.5 total games. Kostyuk won their only prior meeting in straight sets at the Madrid 1000 earlier this year.
Whoever advances guarantees a first-time Wimbledon finalist in that half of the draw — and Kostyuk could become the first Ukrainian woman to reach a Wimbledon singles final. For more offbeat sports moments, browse our Bizarre News & Florida Man section.