It feels like virtually every Grand Slam at the minute, particularly on the women’s side, is subject to remarkable unpredictability.
The top seeds seldom make it all the way to the semi-finals and finals, and if they do, there’s always a chance that they could be upset by a star way below them in the rankings.
During this Wimbledon, we have actually seen a handful of seeded players perform admirably, but in all honesty, none would have been picked as favourites beforehand to reach this stage of the event.
Now, we are set to get a new champion from one of Coco Gauff, Karolina Muchova, Marta Kostyuk and Linda Noskova.
Martina Navratilova and Jim Courier have both tried to figure out who they think is the favourite amongst this quartet to take advantage of this huge opportunity.
Martina Navratilova and Jim Courier predict the women’s Wimbledon champion
Speaking on Tennis Channel, Navratilova began by assessing the remaining field.
She stated: “We’ve got two Slavs there. We could have two Czechs in the finals; we could have Kostyuk Gauff. It’s such a tough call. I like Muchova, she can attack better, but Gauff is the best competitor out there.
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“Noskova has maybe got the bigger game than Kostyuk, but Kostyuk has so much belief right now.
“It’s a flip of a coin.”
Courier then offered his verdict, adding: “Four first timers in the Wimbledon semifinals. So it’s going to be amazing to watch how they manage the moments as well as their opponents out there.
“Winning Wimbledon, it’s a life changer. Even for Coco Gauff, that would be something that would be incredibly special for her. Of course, she burst onto the scene beating Venus here on Court One a long time ago, but she hasn’t performed at this level here until now.
“Might we see a backflip from Kostyuk if she wins the title? I think we will.”
Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slam titles and seven at Wimbledon, honed in on Kostyuk’s run, assessing what has changed for the Ukrainian to have sparked such a turnaround in form.
She insisted: “The brain.
“She was too hard on herself. She was such a perfectionist, and I think she finally realised it doesn’t have to be perfect. She’s good enough. She had the game, she had the shots. She has the athleticism. I think they said, ‘You’re just beating yourself. Stop it. It’s okay. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You just need to be good enough.’ And that’s what she’s doing.
“And she started winning, and then the belief comes, and then you’re nicer to yourself.”
Courier then asked Navratilova that, if all four play to their very best, who she thought came out on top. She replied: “I would go with Muchova.”
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“I would too, on this surface,” Courier agreed.
It has been argued that if Gauff won Wimbledon it would be the most impressive victory in 11 years, statistically speaking.
Why Coco Gauff should feel confident of winning Wimbledon
There is one outstanding reason that should flood Gauff with confidence, not just of beating Muchova, but of overcoming anyone she now has to face from the other semi-finalists.
After all, whilst the one-sided nature of her head-to-head against the Czech star is well-documented, she actually has a winning record against all three players left in the competition.
Coco Gauff and Karolina Muchova’s head-to-head record (6-1)
- 2026 Stuttgart QF – Karolina Muchova defeated Coco Gauff, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
- 2026 Miami SF – Coco Gauff defeated Karolina Muchova, 6-1, 6-1
- 2026 Australian Open 4R – Coco Gauff defeated Karolina Muchova, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
- 2025 United Cup RR – Coco Gauff defeated Karolina Muchova, 6-1, 6-4
- 2024 Beijing F – Coco Gauff defeated Karolina Muchova, 6-1, 6-3
- 2023 US Open SF – Coco Gauff defeated Karolina Muchova, 6-4, 7-5
- 2023 Cincinnati F – Coco Gauff defeated Karolina Muchova, 6-3, 6-4
The American has beaten Noskova in two of their three meetings, and Kostyuk three times out of five matches.
This does not account for much, but it will provide a unique psychological boost that could help Gauff head into her last two matches here at Wimbledon brimming with confidence.
