10-07-2025
Wimbledon semi-finals 2025 live: scores, results from Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek
The kids are all right but you can't beat experience (Rick Broadbent writes). Not on what turned out to be an alternative Mother's Day anyway, with Belinda Bencic making it into the final four 15 months after giving birth to a daughter. Mirra Andreeva's teenage kicks were hard to beat, but the comeback trailblazer is showing tennis can have supermums too.
No mother has won Wimbledon since Evonne Goolagong 45 years ago, but there have been lots of champions in other fields. Mother of all multitaskers Jessica Ennis-Hill became heptathlon world champion a year after childbirth. The fastest woman in the world, Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, was simultaneously a new mum.
Over in cycling Laura Kenny returned from an ectopic pregnancy to ride in the Paris Olympics last summer. Some scientists claim the physical changes wrought by pregnancy can make women stronger, although the Olympic rower Helen Glover, who sat in the Royal Box on Saturday, explained the flipside when she blamed an iron deficiency, caused by breastfeeding, for a broken rib.
● Read more: Supermum Bencic tames teenager Andreeva to seal semi-final spot
A question mark hung over Wimbledon ahead of the men's quarter-finals (Alyson Rudd writes). Would Jannik Sinner be fit to play? It turned out not only was he able to compete but that he did not even contemplate pulling out following the injury to his right elbow sustained in his victory on Monday over Grigor Dimitrov.
'I always try to put myself in the position at least to go out there and try,' the No1 seed said. 'I had quite good feelings in the warm-up today. I felt also yesterday (Tuesday) that mentally I have to get ready. I put into my mind that I'm going to play today. So the concerns were not that big if I would play or not.'
Given the strapping that protected his arm, there were still worries out on No1 Court that the Italian might be hampered, underpowered or distracted. Nothing could have been further from the truth. His straight-sets victory over Ben Shelton, the young American, was supremely elegant and efficient. At times Sinner looked as if he was gliding an inch above the surface of the court. When he attacked he did so with a glint in his eye.
Good morning from a scorching Wimbledon where the scenes are much more like the first few days (Joe Harston writes). Spectators are armed with umbrellas again but not because of the rain I walked down Wimbledon Park Road this morning the sun hat sellers stationed in driveways looked to be making a killing — or at least the first one or two did but then it appeared to become quite a saturated market. No3 Court is filling up nicely as wheelchair singles and doubles champion Alfie Hewett goes a set up (6-1) although one or two groups opted to take shade outside the show courts on the change of set.
Face down on the grass which for two decades he has graced, paced, even tasted, Novak Djokovic lay still for a good five seconds (James Gheerbrant writes). Not many things defeat him on Centre Court, but the impossible physics of trying to move in two different directions simultaneously had done it. The crowd gasped, then went silent, then stood and craned to get a better look. The chair umpire, Eva Asderaki-Moore, came over to check on him, and so too did Flavio Cobolli, whose scorching forehand had just saved a match point. The great champion had gone down on the crease behind the baseline which, over the last three hours, over the last 20 years, his scurrying soles have worn bald.
What was he thinking in that moment? About all the stretches and strains that he has put his body through over half a lifetime? About the nearness of the day when he decides that he has had enough of this? Probably not. Probably just how to win the next two points, which he duly did, thus setting up a semi-final for the ages against Jannik Sinner.
● Read more: Novak Djokovic: Fall was nasty. I hope I'm pain-free for Sinner match
With a little while until the main action on the showcourts gets underway, let's recap what went down in SW19 yesterday as well as looking forward to what may unfold today.
Centre Court (starting at 1.30pm)● Women's singles semi-final: Aryna Sabalenka [1] vs Amanda Anisimova [13]● Women's singles semi-final: Belinda Bencic vs Iga Świątek [8]● Mixed doubles final: Sem Verbeek / Kateřina Siniaková vs Joe Salisbury / Luisa StefaniNo1 Court (starting at 1pm)● Gentlemen's doubles semi-final: Marcelo Arévalo / Mate Pavić [1] vs Rinky Hijikata / David Pel● Gentlemen's doubles semi-final: Marcel Granollers / Horacio Zeballos [4] vs Julian Cash / Lloyd Glasspool [5]● Wheelchair doubles semi-final: Alfie Hewett / Gordon Reid [1] vs Daniel Caverzaschi / Tokito OdaNo2 Court (starting at 11am)Gentlemen's invitation doubles round robin:● Tommy Haas / Feliciano López vs Robert Lindstedt / Horia Tecău● Marcos Baghdatis / Xavier Malisse vs Jérémy Chardy / Bruno SoaresLadies' invitation doubles round robin:● Dominika Cibulková / Barbora Strýcová vs Kirsten Flipkens / Andrea Petkovic● Naomi Broady / Vania King vs Tatiana Golovin / Laura Robson● Agnieszka Radwańska / Magdaléna Rybáriková vs Daniela Hantuchová / CoCo VandewegheNo3 Court (starting at 11am)● Gentlemen's wheelchair singles second round: Ji Zhenxu vs Alfie Hewett [2]●Ladies' wheelchair singles second Round: Li Xiaohui vs Diede de Groot [3]
Things are getting pretty serious around here. It's women's singles semi-final day at SW19 and we cannot wait. Everyone is expecting a final between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek — two decorated dominant women of this era who are yet to go all the way at Wimbledon — but it's not going to be that straightforward, is it? We've got that plus much more with our reporters around the grounds in Wimbledon so stay with us for the latest updates.
