Did Iga Swiatek Just Make History at Wimbledon 2025?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Iga Swiatek reached the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time.
- She defeated Liudmila Samsonova in straight sets.
- This victory extends her head-to-head record against Samsonova to 5-0.
- Swiatek is now one of only four active players to have reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slam tournaments.
- She becomes the first Polish woman to reach Wimbledon semifinals since Agnieszka Radwanska.
London, July 9 (NationPress) Iga Swiatek finally achieved her much-awaited breakthrough on grass courts on Wednesday, as the No. 8 seed dominated Liudmila Samsonova with a score of 6-2, 7-5, securing her spot in the Wimbledon semifinals for the very first time in her career.
Competing on No. 1 Court, the five-time Grand Slam champion delivered an impressive performance against Samsonova, who was making her debut in a major quarterfinal. It took Swiatek 1 hour and 49 minutes to record her fifth consecutive victory over the 19th-seeded Russian, thereby maintaining an unbeaten record of 5-0 in their head-to-head matches according to the WTA.
Having spent a remarkable 125 weeks as World No. 1, Swiatek has now joined an elite group of only four active players who have reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slam events, alongside Aryna Sabalenka, Victoria Azarenka, and Karolina Pliskova.
The 23-year-old from Poland is experiencing her most successful grass season to date, boasting an impressive 8-1 record on this surface this year. Her prior best result at Wimbledon was a quarterfinal finish in 2023. Just weeks earlier, she reached her first-ever grass-court final in Bad Homburg, where she finished as the runner-up to Jessica Pegula.
Swiatek started the match strongly, saving a break point in the opening game and then dominating the first set. She won all 10 of her first-serve points and broke Samsonova twice to take the set 6-2. In the second set, she led 6-2, 4-2, and 40-0, but Samsonova made a spirited comeback, breaking back and leveling the score at 5-5.
However, Swiatek showcased her experience and composure. Serving at 5-5, she held her nerve from 0-30 down, then broke Samsonova in the next game to secure the victory. Fittingly, she clinched the match with a stunning forehand return winner, a testament to her growth on grass courts. Moreover, she becomes the first Polish woman to reach the Wimbledon semifinals since Agnieszka Radwanska in 2015.
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka overcame a tough challenge from Laura Siegemund of Germany to secure her place in the women's singles semifinals. In another quarterfinal, Amanda Anisimova advanced to the final four by defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with a score of 6-1, 7-6(9).