Ukraine joker Elina Svitolina, who fired four Grand Slam champions in her fairy tale run to the Wimbledon semi-finals after her maternity break, thinks the stars are aligning in her quest for a first major title .
The 28-year-old can reach a first slam final by beating Marketa Vondrousova on Thursday and the former world No. 3 said a fresh approach to her career after the war in Ukraine and becoming a mother in October has helped.
“The war has made me stronger and also mentally stronger. I don’t take difficult situations as a disaster. There are worse things in life. I am calmer,” she added.
“I also think, because I’ve just started playing again, I have different pressures. I want to win. I have this huge motivation to get back to the top. But I think having a child and the war have made some me a different person.
Thursday’s order of play
Singles, doubles and mixed doubles only
Center Court, 1:30 p.m.
Ladies’ singles semi-finals
Elina Svitolina (Ukr) against Marketa Vondrousova (Cze)
(6) Ons Jabeur (Tun) v (2) Aryna Sabalenka (Blr)
Mixed doubles final
(7) Mate Pavic (Cro) & Lyudmyla Kichenok (Ukr) against Joran Vliegen (Bel) & Yi Fan Xu (Chn)
Court 1, 1 p.m.
Men’s doubles semi-finals
(10) Kevin Krawietz (G) & Tim Puetz (G) v (15) Marcel Granollers (Esp) & Federico Zeballos (Bol)
(1) Wesley Koolhof (Ned) & Neal Skupski (Gbr) vs (6) Rohan Bopanna (Ind) & Matthew Ebden (Aus)
Men’s semi-finals
friday july 14
(1) Carlos Alcaraz (Esp) v (3) Daniil Medvedev (Rus)
(8) Jannik Sinner (Ita) v (2) Novak Djokovic (Ser)
Wimbledon Women’s Final
Saturday 2 p.m., Center Court
Elina Svitolina/Marketa Vondrousova vs Ons Jabeur/Aryna Sabalenka
Wimbledon men’s final
Sunday 2 p.m., Center Court
Carlos Alcaraz/Daniil Medvedev vs Jannik Sinner/Novak Djokovic
How to watch Wimbledon 2023 on TV in the UK
Live
Wimbledon airs on BBC One and iPlayer until 9pm the first week, unless coverage needs to be extended until the 11pm curfew. Clare Balding took over main presenting duties from Sue Barker.
Every morning, Isa Guha will start coverage at 11 a.m. Former Wimbledon champions including John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King and Pat Cash will make the squad alongside Tim Henman, Tracy Austin, Annabel Croft, Johanna Konta, Anne Keothavong and Sania Mirza.
Strong points
Today at Wimbledon follows live coverage at 9pm daily on BBC Two and iPlayer, presented by Qasa Alom.
How to watch Wimbledon on TV in the US
ESPN has the right to show the grand slam on grass in the United States. Coverage begins each day at 6 a.m. Eastern Time.
What is the prize money of Wimbledon?
Wimbledon’s total prize pool is £44.7m, up 11.2% from 2022.
The men’s and women’s singles champions will each take home £2.35m and the runners-up will take home £1.175m.
The cash prizes for progression to previous rounds are as follows: first round (£55,000); second round (£85,000); third round (£131,000); Round of 16 (£207,000); quarter-finals (£340,000); semi-finals (£600,000).
Why doesn’t Emma Raducanu play at Wimbledon?
Emma Raducanu will miss Wimbledon after undergoing surgery on both hands and left ankle.
Who are the defending champions?
Last year, Novak Djokovic recovered from a set down in the final to beat Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.
Elena Rybakina won a first major singles title when she fought back to beat Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Latest odds?
Singles men
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Novak Djokovic 8/15
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Carlos Alcaraz 13/5
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Daniil Medvedev 1/11
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Jannik Sinner 12/1
single women
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Aryna Sabalenka 6/4
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Ons Jabeur 5/2
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Marketa Vondrusova 5/1
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Elina Svitolina 5/1
take advantage of these Wimbledon betting offers and free bets throughout the two weeks at SW19
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