Wimbledon Semi-Finals 2026: Key Dates, Favourites and What to Expect

Wimbledon 2026 is missing its king. Carlos Alcaraz, champion in 2023 and 2024 and runner-up last year, won’t set foot on the lawns this fortnight, a wrist injury that already cost him Roland Garros having ended his grass season before it started. 

For the first time in years the men’s draw opens without the player who has owned Centre Court, and one question hangs over the whole event: with Alcaraz gone, who walks through the door he’s left open? By the time we reach the final four, we’ll have our answer. 

Meanwhile, Serena Williams – 44 years old, seven-time champion, nearly four years away from singles – is back, wild card in hand, on the grass where she built a legend.

She may not be the favourite. She may not be there in the second week. But for the first time in a long while, the story of Wimbledon isn’t only about who lifts the trophy. And as the field narrows toward the semi-finals, every name still standing has something to prove.

When Are the Wimbledon Semi-Finals?

The Wimbledon semi-final schedule is simple: the semi-finals fall on the second Thursday and Friday of the Championships, with the women going first and the men a day later.

The main draw begins on Monday 29 June, while the singles draws were made on Friday 26 June. Sinner and Djokovic have landed in the same half, so the two can meet only in the semi-finals, while the women’s seedings point to a possible Sabalenka–Andreeva quarter-final and a Rybakina–Anisimova clash in the other quarter. 

Who Could Reach the Wimbledon Semi-Finals?

With the draw now out, the Wimbledon favourites are taking clearer shape, and our bookmakers have a firm idea of who’s suited to go deep here. These are the names they rate most highly, and why.

Men’s contenders

• Jannik Sinner – World No. 1 and defending champion. With Alcaraz out, he’s a heavy favourite: a clean, flat ball and much-improved grass movement make him the man everyone else has to get past.
• Novak Djokovic – Seven-time Wimbledon champion who still saves his best for SW19. At 39 the only opponent he can’t out-think is time, but his return and movement remain elite on this surface.
• Alexander Zverev – Fresh from his first Grand Slam title in Paris, with a serve that’s a natural weapon. The caveat is real, though: grass has long been his weakest surface, and a deep run here would be a genuine first.
• Taylor Fritz – Reached the Halle final and has a Wimbledon semi on his record. One of the biggest serves in the game and perennially dangerous on quick grass.
• Ben Shelton – A left-handed serve that’s near-unreturnable on a fast day. If it clicks for a fortnight, nobody wants the draw.
• Alexander Bublik – Serve-and-flair unpredictability that thrives on grass. Capable of beating anyone on his day, and of bowing out early the next.
• Alex de Minaur – Relentless speed and returning that translate well to the lawns, plus a Queen’s final on his CV. Durable enough to trouble anyone over five sets.

Women’s contenders

• Aryna Sabalenka – World No. 1 and the bookmakers’ favourite. Her power overwhelms on quick courts, and she’s the most consistent force in the women’s game.
• Elena Rybakina – The 2022 champion and arguably the purest grass-courter in the field: a serve and a flat ball that the lawns reward more than any other surface.
• Iga Świątek – Defending champion after last year’s breakthrough on the surface that used to trouble her most. If that title wasn’t a one-off, she’s right in this.
• Mirra Andreeva – The new French Open champion, and at 19 in the form of her life. Grass is less proven for her, but momentum and nerve count for plenty.
• Amanda Anisimova – A clean, early-strike ball striker built for grass, capable of hitting anyone off the court on her day.
• Coco Gauff – Grass has long been her weakest surface and her serve can wobble, but she has movement and athleticism to burn.
• Jessica Pegula – Reliable top-tier ball striking and a steady serve. Durable and awkward for anyone to face.

What Everyone’s Talking About

Serena’s return. Seven-time champion back in a Grand Slam singles draw for the first time since 2022. The draw gave her 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint in round one, with a possible meeting with defending champion Świątek as early as the third round. Whatever the result, she’s the story of this tournament.

Can anyone stop Sinner? Defending champion, world No. 1, and no Alcaraz to block the way. The title is his to lose, so who’s equipped to take it off him?

Zverev on his weakest surface. He’s finally a major champion, but he won it on clay. Can a player who’s never quite cracked grass do it when it matters most?

Djokovic’s last realistic tilt. Seven titles here, chasing one more at 39. The body and the calendar are catching up – is this the last time the draw genuinely runs through him?

British hopes. The draw was unkind to Draper, who opens against sixth seed and 2025 semi-finalist Taylor Fritz. Raducanu reached the Queen’s final this month but faces fitness doubts and a possible third-round clash with Sabalenka. Long roads for the home pair, though Centre Court will be loud.

Andreeva’s momentum vs grass. Paris champion at 19, but red-clay dominance and grass are different sports. Does the form transfer?

Betting on the Wimbledon Semi-Finals

NOTE: For the latest Wimbledon odds, check 7bet’s Wimbledon betting page.

Match winner

The latest Wimbledon odds make Sinner a clear men’s favourite and Sabalenka the women’s, with Djokovic and Zverev next in the men’s market and Rybakina and a defending Świątek heading the chasing pack on the women’s side. Alcaraz’s withdrawal has only shortened the favourites further.

Total games (over/under)

Grass plus big servers tends to mean serve-dominated sets and fewer breaks, which nudges totals upward. A semi-final with two heavy serves (a Shelton or a Fritz, say) can sail over the line, while a returner-versus-server clash is where the under earns its keep.

Set betting

On grass, straight-sets results are common when a big server is on song, so the short prices often land. The value tends to sit in the closer semis: a 3–2 scoreline, or both players to win a set, when the four left standing are evenly matched.

Head-to-head

Previous meetings matter, but weight them by surface. A clay head-to-head tells you almost nothing about a grass semi-final. A recent meeting on grass is worth far more than an overall record built on other courts.

Recent grass-court form

The warm-ups have already flagged who’s sharp: Tiafoe (Halle) and Cerúndolo (Queen’s) among the men, Vekić (Queen’s) among the women. Form on grass in June is one of the better guides to who’s still around in the second week at SW19.

Down to the Final Four

Semi-final weekend is where Wimbledon usually saves its best, with a surface that punishes anyone who isn’t completely on their game. Grass exposes the pretenders early and tends to leave the genuine article. 

With Alcaraz absent, the men’s title is more open than it’s looked in seasons, and a women’s draw led by Sabalenka but stacked with grass pedigree – Rybakina, a defending Świątek, a red-hot Andreeva – could break almost any way. Whoever you fancy, the last four is where it gets real. 

You’ll find prices for every match across 7bet’s tennis betting page as the field narrows. 

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