Iga Swiatek ends Wimbledon drought, sets up semi-final clash with comeback queen Belinda Bencic

Dubai: Wimbledon has long been Iga Swiatek’s unsolved puzzle — until now.

After years of frustration on the lawns of the All England Club, the 2018 junior champion finally unlocked the full version of herself on grass, reaching her first Wimbledon semi-final with a 6-2, 7-5 win over 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova on Wednesday.

The top-seeded Pole appeared to be cruising after taking the first set and going 3-0 up in the second. But Samsonova, playing in her first Grand Slam quarter-final, clawed back to level the score at 5-5. Swiatek, however, held firm — breaking to close out the match and letting a relieved smile stretch across her face.

“Even though I’m in the middle of the tournament, I already got goosebumps after this win,” said Swiatek, who will next face unseeded Swiss star Belinda Bencic for a place in Saturday’s final. “I’m super happy and super proud of myself.”

A five-time Grand Slam winner — four of those at Roland-Garros and one at the US Open — Swiatek has often struggled to find her footing on grass. In her previous five Wimbledon appearances, she had reached the quarter-finals only once, falling in that round last year. But this year, her footwork and confidence have clicked.

“I really worked hard to progress here on this surface,” she said. “So this year, I feel like I can just work with it and work with myself. I’ll just keep doing that.”

Her build-up to the tournament included a runner-up finish in Bad Homburg — her first grass-court final, and her first final at any level in more than a year. That title drought, combined with a one-month suspension last season due to an unintentional doping violation, saw her slip from the No. 1 ranking to No. 8.

Swiatek’s recent semi-final loss to Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open also ended her 26-match winning streak in Paris, but she’s bounced back with quiet determination.

Meanwhile, her next opponent, Belinda Bencic, brings her own story of grit and resurgence. The 28-year-old defeated No. 7 seed Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final since the 2019 US Open — and her first since becoming a mother.

Bencic gave birth to daughter Bella in April 2024 and is competing in only her second tournament since returning to the tour.

“All my career, I didn’t say it a lot to myself, but after having Bella, I really say it to myself every day — I’m proud,” said Bencic. “We are just enjoying life on tour with Bella. Playing great is amazing, but for me, it’s a bonus. I’m just happy to play again. It doesn’t end here.”

The other women’s semi-final will see world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka take on 13th seed Amanda Anisimova — both of whom advanced with victories on Tuesday.

From self-doubt and setbacks to a spot in the final four, Swiatek’s Wimbledon journey this year has been a powerful testament to resilience and reinvention. With momentum finally on her side and a maiden grass-court title within reach, the Pole is now just one match away from completing her Grand Slam semi-final set — and perhaps, rewriting history at a venue that once held only heartbreak.

— With inputs from AP