PREVIEW Wimbledon 2025 ATP and WTA Day 10: Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner v Ben Shelton headline

Wednesday, 09 July 2025 at 09:57

After Wednesday we will have the semi-final line-up at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships as many of the top names and lead protagonists aim to plot their course today. Our preview looks ahead to the four Quarter-Finals on offer.

It all begins with Mirra Andreeva who hilariously was celebrating her coach Conchita Martinez on the sideline of her legends match with a sign. Something she said she was going to do in a post match interview previously but she stuck to her word.

Andreeva has to be seen as one of the leading favourites given that she likely faces Iga Swiatek next up who isn't a grass court specialist. Then it would potentially be Aryna Sabalenka in the final so it is very much a run to remember potentially.

Albeit that is perhaps getting too far ahead of the curve in regards to Belinda Bencic who has never faced Andreeva. Perhaps not surprising given that she became a mother while Andreeva was rising up the ranks.

But Bencic's rise has been stark to levels similar to what Elina Svitolina managed to achieve when she became a mother. She sealed a title in Abu Dhabi (albeit she has stalled at times since) and now she is in a Quarter-Finals of a major. She becomes the latest of a short list of returning mothers to do so and is a real inspiring success story for top WTA stars that there is a route back.

Andreeva though eased through Emma Navarro and likely will be favoured to win this match too to begin the Centre Court slate on Wednesday. Albeit this tournament has been nothing if not unpredictable so who knows.

Djokovic v Sinner anyone?

Novak Djokovic follows up and he will lick his lips at the route through he potentially has. Ironically through all the shocks and all the issues the top names have had, it is the Serbian who stands tall still in a part of his career which in reality he hasn't looked his best.

But he has managed as he often does to produce his best tennis when it matters most on this stage and going into a potential semi-final with Jannik Sinner, he faces another Italian aiming to shock him and set up a clash himself with the World No.1.

That being Flavio Cobolli. Cobolli is the player to emerge out of the Jack Draper mini section. Draper losing to Marin CIlic and Jakub Mensik losing to Cobolli saw him emerge. The 23-year-old currently just outside the top 20 is having his best run at a Grand Slam bettering three third rounds in the others between 2024-2025.

But facing Djokovic at Wimbledon is one of the biggest tasks and last time they played in Shanghai last year, it was pretty comfortable for Nole as he won 6-1, 6-2. That will be the second match on tonight.

Iga rises to the occasion

Onto Court One and it is a certain Iga Swiatek who begins proceedings. Like alluded too, Swiatek since winning juniors hasn't had a great grass court career. It is often a surface that while she gets some results on she hadn't reached a final in until last month.

Pretty staggering too for a player of her quality and dominance atop the WTA Rankings until very recently but ironically amid all the chatter of her clay court demise and her not being at her best recently, she could make a run all the way here. Albeit she faces Liudmila Samsonova who despite the 4-0 deficit in regards to Head-to-Head is a quality operator on grass.

They last played at the US Open last year and Swiatek sealed it 6-4, 6-1. She would face Andreeva or Bencic in the semi-finals if she won through.

Sinner faces Shelton but is there injury doubts?

While Sinner would face Djokovic but he has to see off Ben Shelton first with injury doubts swirling around the Italian. He has his elbow issue and practiced away from Aorangi Park in the past day in what was seen at the time as a bit of an injury doubt but in the end proved to be that Darren Cahill wanted him training away from the spotlight to test it out.

But he faces a fired up Ben Shelton who no doubt will want to prove himself on the biggest stage again. He lost to Sinner just this January in the semi-final of the Australian Open and with his family and girlfriend alongside him in London, he has found his way through some tough tests.

But does Sinner's nine lives stretch to a tie like this or will Shelton pull off the big upset. Those wanting a final between Sinner and Alcaraz likely ride on this tie as any Sinner fragility likely won't be retired upon like Dimitrov. So certainly an intriguing way to end Wednesday.

Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief

Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.

Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.

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