Iga Swiatek stormed into her first Wimbledon final, crushing Belinda Bencic 6-2, 6-0 in a blistering 71-minute masterclass on Centre Court.
The Polish star was unstoppable from the first game, hitting with power and precision. Her forehand dictated play, and she raced to a 3-0 lead before Bencic could find any rhythm.
Bencic, ranked No. 35, held serve twice but was broken to love in the eighth game. That set the tone for a ruthless second set where Swiatek never let her opponent breathe.
“I never dreamed this would be possible,” Swiatek said after the match. “Tennis keeps surprising me. Playing well on grass is something new for me, and I’m just enjoying it.”
Swiatek, seeded eighth, had never made it past the quarter-finals at Wimbledon before this year. Now, she’s one match away from lifting her sixth Grand Slam title.
The 24-year-old has already won four French Opens and the 2022 US Open. But grass has always been her least favourite surface until now.
Bencic, a former Olympic champion and new mother, returned to the tour just six months after giving birth. Her Wimbledon run was inspiring, but she was no match for Swiatek’s firepower.
Swiatek finished with 26 winners and won 83% of her first-serve points. She also converted every trip to the net, going 6-for-6.
The win sets up a first-time showdown with Amanda Anisimova, who beat Aryna Sabalenka in the other semi-final. Despite never facing each other at pro level, the two did meet as juniors in 2016, with Swiatek winning that contest.
Swiatek has now reached back-to-back grass finals, after making the title match at Bad Homburg. On Saturday, she’ll aim to cap her summer with Wimbledon glory.
