“This year, I feel like I developed as a player, and I had time to practice a little bit more,” Iga Swiatek said after earning her career’s maiden Wimbledon semifinal spot, on Wednesday. On Court 1, the five-time slam queen clinched the quarterfinal battle at the grass major. She’s not won a WTA title this season—not even on her favorite Parisian clay. But the former World No.1’s sheer will to keep getting better is powering her campaign this week. Seems like there’s a good chance for her to lift her maiden Wimbledon trophy. But to make it a reality, she will have to pass a tough test on Thursday against Belinda Bencic.

The Pole has been in remarkable touch over the last two weeks at the All England Club. In the first round, she ousted Polina Kudermetova in straight sets before taking down Caty McNally. This battle was intense, though, as McNally won the first set. But Swiatek fought back to earn the victory in the decider. Up next was Danielle Collins. The same rival who bested her at the Italian Open earlier this year. However, Swiatek took her revenge this time with a score line of 6-2, 6-3. In the fourth round, she easily went past Clara Tauson in straight sets as well before outplaying Liudmila Samsonova in the quarterfinal. After she won the first set, the Russian tested her skills by delaying the result. But the Pole emerged victorious with a final score line of 6-2, 7-5.

On the other hand, the fresh responsibilities of motherhood have hardly been a hurdle for Belinda Bencic, who gave birth to her daughter Bella last spring. Used to visualizing plays for her next challenge before going to bed,  the Swiss star doesn’t mind getting woken up by her daughter’s cries in the middle of the night. “I don’t adjust anything, I’m just being a mum at home. When she cries in the night, I’ll wake up,” said Bencic per the BBC. “It’s not something that’s going to affect me for my [match].” And it hasn’t.

In fact, she’s playing the tennis of her life at the grass major. She kicked off her campaign with a straight-set, easy triumph over America’s Alycia Parks (6-0, 6-3). Against France’s Elsa Jacquemot, in the second round, the Swiss struggled initially and lost the opening set. But clawed her way back. She bested Elisabetta Cocciaretto in a similar fashion, too, before taking down Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round in straight sets. On Wednesday, in the quarterfinal stage, the 28-year-old overcame teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva in an intense encounter. Although she faced two tiebreaks, Bencic managed to win with a score line of 7-6(3), 7-6(2) to secure her maiden Wimbledon semifinal ticket.

Neither player could do much in their previous Wimbledon campaigns. Swiatek’s best run was reaching the quarterfinals in 2023. Now she’s improved that. On the other hand, Bencic’s best run was entering the third round, back in 2019. However, this year the two ladies are performing exceptionally on grass. The stats don’t lie either. Swiatek has won 8 of her nine encounters on the surface in 2025. Bencic’s record is no less impressive, having won five of her six grass matches this year.

When it comes to H2H record per WTA Tennis, however, Swiatek has got an edge over Bencic. She’s currently leading 3-1 against her. Most importantly, the Pole has even won a grass battle over the Swiss player and that, too, at Wimbledon. During their last meeting, in the fourth round of the 2023 edition, she beat Bencic with a score line of 6-7, 7-6, 6-3. On Thursday, Bencic will pose a threat with her quick return shots. However, the former World No.1 is still expected to win – even if there occurs a decider – with her aggressive style and athleticism.

After winning the quarterfinal, Swiatek became the fourth active player to reach the semis at all slams. Before her, World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, Victoria Azarenka, and Karolina Pliskova have already captured this achievement. But there’s another huge milestone Swiatek will look to capture this weekend at the All England Club.

It’s been a decade since any Polish woman reached the summit clash on the Centre Court. The Pole’s got a golden chance to make it happen and eventually lift her first Venus Rosewater Dish trophy.

A decade later, Iga Swiatek can script Wimbledon history for Poland

For the uninitiated, Agnieszka Radwańska was the last Polish WTA player to reach the final of the Wimbledon Championships. More than a decade ago, she accomplished the feat during the 2012 edition. However, the former icon couldn’t lift the trophy against a formidable opponent in 23-time slam queen Serena Williams. The American won with a score line of 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.

After earning her best campaign at the grass major, Iga Swiatek would now like to bring glory to her country. Should she win the semifinal against Bencic, she will enter into her maiden final at the All England Club on a surface she’s hardly liked in the past. Last year, when she lost in the third round, the Pole was clearly upset over her grass court woes.

Confessing her shortcomings on grass, the Pole said, “For me going from this kind of tennis where I felt like I’m playing the best tennis in my life to another surface where I kind of struggle a little bit more, it’s not easy,” reported WTA’s website in July 2024.“All that stuff really combines to me not really having a good time in Wimbledon.”

But look at her now. She’s not the same Swiatek who felt helpless on the grass. Now, she’s begun to embrace it similar to how she feels at home on clay, where she’s won four slams. What are your thoughts on the five-time slam winner’s Wimbledon prospects? Let us know in the comments below. And don’t forget to experience the Championships as they unfold with EssentiallySports’ real-time updates.