Kostyuk and Noskova reach the last four and will meet for a place in the Wimbledon final
Marta Kostyuk (No 12) and Linda Noskova (No 9) both reached the Wimbledon last four for the first time on Wednesday – Kostyuk sweeping past Jasmine Paolini (No 13) 6-3, 6-2, Noskova outlasting Elise Mertens (No 25) 6-3, 7-5.
Marta Kostyuk, Wimbledon 2026 | © SPP / PsNewz
Marta Kostyuk and Linda Noskova will play each other for a spot in the Wimbledon final after both came through on Wednesday afternoon, each reaching the last four at the All England Club for the first time.
Kostyuk was the more emphatic. The Ukrainian No. 12 seed beat Italian No. 13 seed Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 to reach her first Wimbledon semifinal, extending a striking late surge: after failing to reach the semifinals in each of her first 24 Grand Slam main draws, she has now done so at back-to-back majors, following her run at Roland-Garros. She is only the second Ukrainian, men included, to reach the semifinals here, after Elina Svitolina.
Kostyuk had to walk there
The occasion was not lost on her. “Thank God my coach made me walk here yesterday,” Kostyuk said. “I was flabbergasted by this entrance and everything inside – I was like, wow, I need a day to recover from what I saw. I was on this court as a spectator once, nine years ago, watching Roger. It was super special to be back as a player. I did a walk of honour on Centre Court, sat beside it and took a moment to soak it all in.”
Noskova followed her through. The Czech No. 9 seed beat Belgian No. 25 seed Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5 to reach a maiden Grand Slam semifinal. At 21, she is the youngest woman into the last four at Wimbledon since Petra Kvitova in 2010 – the player who went on to win the title a year later. Powerful and composed beyond her years, she has won 10 of her last 11 matches and is the youngest player left in the draw.
A first-time Wimbledon finalist
The paths there differed. Kostyuk dropped only two sets across the fortnight, seeing off Nadia Podoroska, Anna Blinkova, No. 23 seed Emma Navarro and Ashlyn Krueger. Noskova had knocked out American No. 26 seed Madison Keys and edged Romanian No. 17 seed Sorana Cirstea in a third-set tie-break, while Mertens’ run had featured a statement win over second seed Elena Rybakina.
Their semifinal guarantees a first-time Wimbledon finalist. Neither Kostyuk nor Noskova has reached a major final, and with no former Grand Slam champion left in this half of the draw, one of them will move within a match of a maiden major title.
