Mertens reaches a first Wimbledon quarterfinal at 30, ending a six-year Slam drought
Elise Mertens won against Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-4 on Monday. She’ll play the winner of the match between American Madison Keys, the No 26 seed, and Czech Linda Noskova, the No 9 seed, in the next round
Elise Mertens, Wimbledon 2026 | © Photos PsNews
Elise Mertens of Belgium reached her first Wimbledon quarterfinal on Monday, beating Czech Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round. At 30, the No. 25 seed ended a six-year wait for a place in the last eight at a major, her first since the 2020 US Open and the fourth of her career.
The breakthrough had been a long time coming, and Mertens knew it. “I’ve been to the 4th round for like four times already and I never played a quarterfinal,” she said after the match. “So I was like, I have to be over 30 years old to play a quarterfinal here.”
Her passage to the last eight was the most convincing of her fortnight. In the previous round she stunned Kazakh second seed and 2022 champion Elena Rybakina 7-6 (4), 6-1, having earlier accounted for German Laura Siegemund 6-2, 6-4 and, after dropping the opening set, Uzbek Maria Timofeeva 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.
Bouzkova, ranked No. 23, had reached the second week with wins over Australian Talia Gibson, Italian Tyra Caterina Grant and, in a marathon, Russian Liudmila Samsonova 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4. Against Mertens she could not find a way through.
Wimbledon 2016, women’s singles, fourth round
N. Osaka [14] d. A. Sabalenka [1]: 6-2, 7-6(2)
K. Muchova [10] d. B. Krejcikova: 7-5, 5-7, 6-3
J. Pegula [4] d. I. Jovic [16]: 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
C. Gauff [7] d. B. Bencic [11]: 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
M. Kostyuk [12] d. A. Krueger (Q): 6-4, 6-4
J. Paolini [13] vs A. Eala [29] – Monday
M. Keys [26] vs L. Noskova [9] – Monday
E. Mertens [25] d. M. Bouzkova [21] – 6-4, 6-4
