There will be an all-Czech final for the first time in Wimbledon history, as Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova are set to meet at Centre Court later tonight. For the first time since Serena and Venus Williams in 2009, the SW19 championship will be settled by two players from the same nationality. However, only one of them can bring home the bacon for their country.
Noskova is currently the ninth-ranked player in the WTA rankings, with Muchova behind her at 12th. After they defied the Wimbledon 2026 odds by making it this far, they’ll get a timely bump in points to help them stay in the Top 10.
Like last year in the men’s, this year’s Grand Slam tournament saw several upsets, which paved the way for Muchova and Noskova. Iga Swiatek was on the receiving end in the third round, which ended her reign. As a result, we’ll have a 10th different champion in as many years.
Check out the latest Wimbledon 2026 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Muchova survives Gauff in gripping semi-final
Karolina Muchova is headed to her second Grand Slam singles final after outlasting Coco Gauff 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(10) in arguably one of the matches of the tournament on Thursday. After exchanging sets in the first two, the match was decided by a grueling tiebreak.
During the deciding match tiebreak, Muchova built a 6-3 lead with her powerful forehands. However, Gauff responded like one of the Tour’s fiercest competitors, as the young American strung together three straight points to level the score before winning six of the next eight to earn match point at 9-8.
Serving for the match, Gauff’s forehand drop shot landed in the net, giving Muchova one more chance. And the 29-year-old Czech international capitalised by winning the final three points to end the rollercoaster match with a memorable victory. Muchova now has a remarkable 28-0 record this season after winning the first set.
Meanwhile, this was a devastating loss for Gauff, who had rallied from 7-4 down to defeat Solana Sierra in a second-round match tiebreak before eliminating Claire Liu, Belinda Bencic, and Jessica Pegula in the succeeding rounds. She may have felt short this time, but Gauff will definitely bounce back soon.
Noskova hits remarkable young-woman feat
Linda Noskova joined her compatriot in reaching the Wimbledon final for the first time on Thursday after defeating Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 19 minutes on Centre Court. At age 21, she became the youngest women’s singles finalist at SW19 since Genie Bouchard in 2014.
Noskova put Kostyuk in an early 0-40 hole that the latter couldn’t get out of. Noskova won eight of the final nine points to claim the first set. She then again pressured Kostyuk’s serve early in the second set, breaking to love for a commanding 3-1 lead.
However, Kostyuk replied with her first break point of the match in the next game and converted with a strong forehand winner to get back on serve at 3-2 for her only bright spot of the day. Noskova won 74-per cent of her first-serve points and 58-per cent of her second-serve points, as her final forehand winner sent her into the final.
Before eliminating Kostyuk, Noskova defeated Camila Osorio, Sorana Cirstea, Madison Keys, and Elise Mertens. Against Cirstea, she had to save a match point to see out the third round. Noskova and Muchova have only met once before their match later tonight, which Noskova won in three sets at last year’s US Open.
Eala became the tournament darling after upset win
It wasn’t too long ago when Alex Eala captured the hearts of tennis fans around the world, following her shocking 7-6(9), 6-2 victory to dethrone Iga Swiatek in the third round at Centre Court. Already the first Filipina to make it this far, Eala became the first from the Philippines to advance to the second week of a major.
The opening set between Eala and Swiatek was riveting, to say the least, as the momentum swung back and forth. Eala built a 5-2 lead, only for Swiatek to reply with a four-point run to reach set point. In the end, Eala successfully navigated a six-deuce marathon to win the final game, claiming the opening set before a much easier second.
Unfortunately for Eala, she would lose to Jasmine Paolini 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the Round of 16, but she’s on track for a first-round bye in the upcoming National Bank Open in Canada next month. The 21-year-old is currently taking a breather after enjoying the best grass-court season of her career.
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