Sabine Lisicki in the Wimbledon semifinals
Formula One has Monte Carlo, cycling has the Tour de France, and tennis has Wimbledon as the most important tournament of the year. For tennis players, success at Wimbledon means more than winning any other Grand Slam tournament or an Olympic gold medal. It is quite possible that Sabine Lisicki will become the first German player since Steffi Graf in 1996 to have her name added to the winners’ list of the prestigious tournament at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in the London district of Wimbledon. While most experts had expected Julia Görges or Andrea Petkovic to lead the German charge, Sabine Lisicki, currently ranked No. 62 in the WTA rankings, is now making headlines at Wimbledon. After defeating Marion Bartoli (France) 6–4, 6–7, 6–1, Sabine Lisicki secured her place in the Wimbledon semifinals, where the daughter of Polish parents will now face top favorite Maria Sharapova (Russia), who has yet to drop a single set in the tournament.
Sabine Lisicki in the Wimbledon semifinals
Date: 30/09/2026
Sabine Lisicki’s success at Wimbledon is not entirely unexpected. After all, Lisicki reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon two years ago and arrived in London this year fresh from winning a tournament in Birmingham, which is also played on grass. Sabine Lisicki’s powerful serve, one of the fastest on the WTA Tour at around 200 km/h, is considered the secret to her success and is especially effective on grass. Quite a few experts see the semifinal clash between Sabine Lisicki and Maria Sharapova as an early final for the title at the year’s most important Grand Slam tournament. Pay-TV broadcaster Sky will show the match live on Thursday.
Regardless of the outcome of her match against the 2004 Wimbledon champion, Sabine Lisicki will be ranked among the world’s top 25 in the new WTA rankings, joining Julia Görges and Andrea Petkovic among the tennis elite. A visit to the Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament, already one of the best travel tips for London, is therefore especially worthwhile for German fans this year. Even before the tournament, wildcard entrant Sabine Lisicki—who knocked out French Open champion Na Li (China), among others, in the second round—was considered a dark horse by English bookmakers, and she is now more than living up to those expectations.
Kai Rebmann
