Belinda Bencic Stuns Mirra Andreeva to Reach First Wimbledon Semi-Final

Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic defeated Russian seventh seed Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday (July 09) to reach her first Wimbledon semi-final with a 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2) win.

Belinda Bencic’s Triumph a Year After Motherhood

Just over a year after giving birth, the former Olympic champion is having her best run at the All England Club. Since welcoming her daughter Bella in April 2024, the 28-year-old has made a remarkable comeback, rising to 35th in the world rankings after returning from maternity leave. Wimbledon seems like child’s play for Bencic this year as she dispatched Andreeva in just over two hours of compelling quarter-final action on Centre Court.

Belinda Bencic, once ranked world number four, will now face five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek for a place in Saturday’s final.
“It’s crazy, it’s unbelievable. It’s a dream come true. I tried not to think about it at match point. I’m just speechless,” Bencic said.

A Historic Swiss Return and Mental Grit

“I studied all evening yesterday to come up with a plan. I think it worked out well. With two tie-breaks, it’s not easy, it’s just a small edge.”

This marks Belinda Bencic’s second Grand Slam semi-final appearance, her first ending in defeat at the 2019 US Open, two years before she claimed gold medal at Tokyo Olympics. She is now the first Swiss woman to reach a Wimbledon semi-final since Martina Hingis 27 years ago.

“I’m very proud. I didn’t say it to myself much before, but since having Bella, I say it every day. It’s not just me — I couldn’t do it without my amazing family and team,” Bencic added. “We worked so hard on the comeback. We’re enjoying life on tour, and to play great is a bonus. I’m just really happy to be playing again, because my body allows it.” Meanwhile, 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, the youngest Wimbledon women’s quarter-finalist since 2007, had cruised through her earlier rounds without dropping a set, under the guidance of former champion Conchita Martinez. But Bencic, locked in and resilient, even played through a painful cracked toenail in the second set to secure the win.

“They always crack. It is the life of a tennis player,” Bencic said. “I didn’t want to take a medical time-out so you didn’t have to see this.”

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