Jasmine Paolini Crushed at Wimbledon as Kostyuk Powers to Semifinals

**Jasmine Paolini’s Wimbledon campaign ended abruptly on July 10, 2026, after Marta Kostyuk dominated the Italian in a 6-3, 6-2 semifinal rout.** The victory propelled Kostyuk into her second straight Grand Slam semifinal, this time at the All England Club, where she’ll next face Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic on Thursday.

Kostyuk’s aggressive baseline game overwhelmed Paolini, who struggled to break the Ukrainian’s serve just twice in the match. The 12th seed held her first serve at 78% and converted 11 of 14 break-point opportunities. Paolini, ranked 22nd, failed to capitalize on Kostyuk’s occasional errors, dropping the first set 6-3 before a more resilient second set saw her fight back-only for Kostyuk to close out the match with a pair of service holds.

The defeat marks Paolini’s second straight loss to Kostyuk in 2026, following their French Open quarterfinal clash in May. With no further matches on the WTA schedule until the Palermo Open next week, Paolini will look to regroup ahead of her home-court event. Her form has been inconsistent this season, with just one title to her name since the Australian Open.

Kostyuk played the match against a backdrop of relentless Russian missile strikes on Kyiv, including an 11-hour drone and missile barrage last week that killed at least 21 civilians. Just days earlier, her parents’ neighborhood was hit by Russian missiles, forcing her to block out the devastation while competing. *“It’s not easy to disconnect entirely,”* Kostyuk said afterward. *“I try to be aware of everything, but I can’t let it influence me too much.”*

Kostyuk’s semifinal appearance makes her the second Ukrainian woman to reach the last four at Wimbledon, following Elina Svitolina in 2019 and 2023-both times Svitolina fell short in the final. If Kostyuk advances, she’ll become the first Ukrainian finalist since Svitolina’s 2023 semifinal run. *“I’m hoping it would mean a lot,”* Kostyuk said, acknowledging the symbolic weight of her progress amid the war.

Paolini’s early exit at Wimbledon leaves her with just one WTA title this year, won in Strasbourg in June. Her head-to-head with Kostyuk now stands at 0-2, a stark contrast to their 2025 season where Paolini took two of their three meetings. With the US Open looming, Paolini will need a quick turnaround to regain her rhythm before the hard-court swing begins in August.