Wimbledon 2025: Norrie taken to decider, Alcaraz in action, Sabalenka wins, Kartal bows out – live | Wimbledon 2025
Key events
Jarry levels the sets on a tie-break – it’s 2-2 with Norrie.
John Brewin
Good evening. Has anyone done an Ubi Roi gag yet about Jarry? It feels like we’re running out of time to do. Jarry blasts into a two-point lead, and Norrie blasts back to win four straight, a mini-break, only to make a mess of a booming forehand. Jarry levels at 4-4, and takes in great gusts of air. Now 5-5, both going for the big shots. Why not? Then Norrie misses from the baseline to the other baseline. Jarry can serve for the set. An ace, and it’s done. Oh Norrie. oh no.
Jarry nets a backhand as Alcaraz and Rublev arrive on to Centre, then hooks a forehand wide and we’re going to have out third breaker of the match; currently, the players have taken one apiece. Her’es John Brewin to bring it to you.
A tremendous backhand, inside-out to break the sideline, gives Jarry 0-15, but a poor return when offered a slow second serve, wastes a big opportunity. No matter: a fantastic return, down the line from out wide and right into the corner, takes us to 30-all, but when Norrie picks him out with a poor forehand from mid-court, he can’t seize the opportunity, hitting long … but nor can Norrie, netting for deuce. This is very tense now, and it’s joyous to behold.
Lovely work from Jarry, who holds to love and forces Norrie to serve once more to stay in set four at 5-6. But my watch is over, so here’s John Brewin to take you through to the close. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and peace out.
At 40-15, Jarry finds a brutal forehand down the line to give himself a sniff, but just misses the line with a hooked return, and at 5-5 in the fourth we’re back level.
Back on No 1, Norrie leads 6-3 7-6 6-7 4-4 with Jarry serving at deuce; he forces through for 5-4 and there’s still so little between these two. Both are playing really well, hitting it hard and accurately, and both look in absurd physical condition.
Next on Centre Court: Andrey Rublev (14) v Carlos Alcaraz (2).
Sabalenka says it feels so good to feel all the support and today she got the crowd on her side. Mertens, a great player and person, always brings great tennis and she thinks about the game really well, offering a proper challenge today.
Wimbledon is only slam in which she’s yet to play a final and believes anything is possible with the support of the fans. She’s just trying to give her best, and prompted about her TikTok dances, says she scrolls, finds an easy one, and does that as she’s not a great dancer. But she can move!
Aryna Sabalenka (1) beasts Elise Mertens (24) 6-4 7-6(4)
Sabalenka only needs one, finishing a fine match between two old friends and doubles partners. Merterns can’t play much better than that, I don’t think; Sabalenka can, and will. Next for her, Laura Siegemund.
Back on Centre, Sabalenka retrieves the mini-break for 3-3, pushes to 5-3, and suddenly she’s very close to claiming the match. But a volley into the net – what an oversight that is – invites Mertens back into things, for as long as it takes for a weapons-grade inside-out backhand to raise two match points at 6-4. The first is on return, but if she needs it, she’ll have a second go on serve.
Oooh Mertens frames a return and Sabalenka can’t flick it back over the net, so that’s an immediate mini-break. Then Norrie, down break point and embroiled in the longest rally of the match, 25 strokes, finds a tremendous forehand to save himself. Jarry, though, nails a forehand down the line followed by a backhand down the line … only for Norrie to spirit for forehand of his own cross-court for a winner that brings back to deuce. Both players are at it and letting it all hang out; it’s great fun to watch and from there, Norrie secures a vital hold with an ace. Jarry is now 0-5 on break points.
Sabalenka chases, making Mertens play more balls, and eventually the error comes for 30-15. Then, at 40-15, the crowd, keen to see a decider, get behind the Belgian, Saba goes long on the return, and a second-set tiebreaker it is.
Again, Sabalenka holds; again, Mertens must hold to stay in the match, but this time the reward tantalising her is a second-set breaker. She’s playing well enough to earn it and take it, though the sense remains that the world no 1 will find a way.
Now then. Offered a look at a second serve, Norrie hits a deep return, Jarry errs, and at 15-40, here come two break points, the first in over an hour. One vaporised with an ace and a big serve plus one takes us to deuce, whereupon the Chilean powers to the hold which gives him 3-2 in the third.
Back with Nozza, he and Jarry are now 2-2 in set four; Mertens makes 40-0 then, when beaten by a murderous forehand, finds a first serve, plays a lovely point, and we’re back level in the second, Sabalenka leading 6-4 5-5.
But Mertens clouts a forehand return wide, unable to force her nose in front, and Sabalenka secures her hold through deuce to lead 6-4 5-4. Pressure for the Belgian, who must now serve to stay in the match. She’s given a really good account of herself so far – I’m just typing this is the best I’ve seen her play when Martina says the same, which might be the best thing that’s happened to me today.
Three aces on the spin give Mertens 4-4 in the second, but can she hold herself together as we reach the business end of the set? A decent return, attacking Sabalenka’s second serve, makes her 15-all, and she’s in the game … all the more so at 30-all.
“The nation may have gone into this years Wimbledon with growing belief in a genuine title-tilt from Jack Draper, the son of the former head of the LTA,” writes Samuel Bates, “but in the end it was Sonay Kartal, daughter of a kebab vendor, whose spirited efforts won the nations heart. Less silver spoon, more plastic fork. All the salad, all the sauce.”
I’m not sure why we need to denigrate Draper to praise Kartal – both are great, and we can hardly diss the fourth-best player in the world for being a nepo-baby. Also, he’s fought through dreadful grief with injury to get to where he is, well ahead of schedule, and is, by all accounts, really sound lad.
But yup, Kartal is developing nicely and though I doubt she bothers the top-10 in the world, she’s great fun to watch and will, I’m sure, give us loads of joy over the next decade.
Nicolas Jarry wins the third set against Cameron Norrie to trail 3-6 (4)6-7 7-6(7)
Jarry’s played too well to lose in straights, and he’s not going to. This is intensifying.
Sabalenka does indeed snatch back that break to lead 6-4 3-3, and that might be Mertens’ last chance.
Brilliant from Jarry, a destructive backhand cross earning him set point and on his own serve; he thunders down a mahoosvie delivery but it’s out, just … then goes long! What an oversight that is! To 7-7 we go!
Jarry dives desperately to block back a Norrie forehand after doing too little at the net, leaves a big space, Norrie fires the ball through it and at 6-5 in the third-set breaker, he has match point … which Jarry, again at the net, saves well. Meantime, back in Centre, Sbalenka is hunting the break-back, at deuce on the Mertens serve trailing 3-2 in the second.
Twenty-two bounces before Norrie’s next service-point, and Jarry nets, but he can’t blame his opponent for missing a short ball. More bounces follow and this time Nozza interferes with his own rhythm, a double returning the mini-break and we wind up at 5-5.
Norrie nabs the first mini-break for 4-2, and he’s three holds away from the last eight. He looks so confident out there now.
Back on No 1, we’re playing a third-set breaker while, on Centre, Mertens breaks Sabalenka, then converts for 3-1 in the second. This is a proper match now.
Siegemund says this was her toughest match so far as she’d not previously felt she had to win. But this time she was the favourite, against a great player not much more than half her age.
She and her team are doing the same thing they always do, staying with a family who’ve become friends – which is better than yet another hotel. She thinks she’s changed, deciding she can do better than lose second round, came with no pressure or expectation, and now is the oldest player left in the draw.
Asked about the usefulness of her psychology degree on court, she laughs it’s of none whatsoever. She’s just focusing on herself and says if you’re ready to accept a good match and a defeat, you’re ready to win. I’d love to hear more from her, and I’m looking forward to seeing her play again.
Laura Siegemund beats Solana Sierra 6-3 6-2
Squeals and shrieks from a delighted Siegemund, into her first Wimbledon quarter at the age of 37; lovely stuff, problem being her likely opponent is Sabalenka, though Mertens is still fighting. Sierra has had a great tournament, announcing herself to the tennis world in the process, but she must now go home.
…and Sierra saves both. She’s having far too fun a time to simply disappear, but a delicious drop from Siegemund earns advantage and another go at closing it out.
Excellent from Jarry, who holds to love to make 5-5 in the third. If Norrie wants to win this, he’ll have to take it. Meantime, on No 2, Siegemund has match points…
On No 2, Siegemund is almost home, up 6-3 4-2 on Sierra, while a comfy hold from Norrie means Jarry must soon serve to stay in the match at 3-6 6-7 4-5.
Aryna Sabalenka wins the first set to lead Elise Mertens 6-4
A tamley netted forehand leaves Mertens down set point, and though she gets a first serve in, Sabalenka carts a flat backhand cross that breaks the sideline, a devastating stroke perhaps beyond anyone else on the tour. That’s the set, and Mertens will know she can’t play much better than she has, yet still she trails.
Norrie is still looking good on No 1, up 2-0 4-3. He’s not hitting loads of winners, but he’s only made 11 unforced errors versus 39 for Jarry, the difference between them more than an entire set.
On Centre, Mertens is playing nicely against Sabalenka, visibly growing in confidence as she realises she can respond to the power. But it’s the world no 1 who leads, 5-4 on serve in the first.
When it comes for unforced errors on the forehand side, Jarry “leads” Norrie 20-5; if he’s to have any chance, he must sort that. Meantime, it’s 2-2 in the third, Nozza by two sets to love.
Meantime, Mertens breaks Sabakenka back for -04, and she’s paying pretty well while, on No 2, Siegemund converts break point and now leads Sierra 6-3 2-0. She’s in sight of her first Wimbledon quarter-final.
Caught at the net, Jarry stretches to connect with Norrie’s forehand pass, but he only prolongs the rally by a shot, and at 30-40, he must now face a break point; it’s saved with an ace. But we go backwards and forwards, deuce-advantage, Jarry under all sorts of pressure, before eventually he secures a vital hold. Nozza leads 6-3 7-6 2-2.
She’s not playing today, but I’ve been impressed with Iga Swiatek so far in this competition. Losing her French Open title will have hurt her deeply, but she’s responding really well and wouldn’t have to play Sabalenka until the final. Her potential semi with Mirra Andreeva, though, looks extremely tasty.
Leading 2-1 in the first set, Sabalenka makes 15-40 and, offered a short second serve, massacres a forehand return down the line. Mertens gets it back but the putaway is emphatically clobbered, and that’s the break at 3-1.
We soon be back under way on No 2, where Siegemund leads Sierra 6-3 1-0.
Thanks Tom and his again everyone. On Centre, Sabalenka holds for 1-0 in the first against Mertens; on No 1, Jarry is grousing to the umpire bout Norrie’s ball-bouncing, but the umpire says there’s nothing going on which contravenes any rules.
Norrie wins second set against Jarry 7-6 (5)
A lovely drop shot out of nowhere gets Norrie on the board after a Jarry ace but he gives up a minibreak stretching for a forceful return from the Chilean. The immediate breakback comes when Jarry hits too long and then another means they change ends with Norrie 4-2 and a mini-break up. A deep backhand forces Jarry to net again. A fine second serve from Jarry cuts the lead to 5-3 and he follows it with a ripping angled forehand winner. Another wide Norrie serve sets him up to win the next rally and earn two set points. A gruelling rally ensues but Norrie clinches it with an extra assertion of power in a forehand winner. That was a tough set for Norrie and he did really well to dig in and win it. He leads 6-3, 7-6.
And on that bombshell, I’ll hand you back to Daniel.
After Jarry storms through his service game to love, he puts some pressure on the Norrie serve with a deft backhand slice and another winning return for 15-30. But he blunders a return on Norrie’s second serve and nets, which Norrie follows up with an ace, then works his opponent round the baseline to hold and take us to a tiebreak. 6-3, 6-6 to Norrie.
Back on Court No 1, Norrie, a set up, and serving at 4-5 in the second, sends down a lazy second double fault of the match for 15-15, which gives Jarry the confidence to dominate the next rally and force Norrie to hit long. A mis-hit off Jarry’s frame brings us back to 30-30 and Norrie goes on to seal the hold with a clever wide-angled serve. 5-5.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, now through to her second Wimbledon quarter-final at 34, says she’s “impressed and proud of myself to compete at this level against these younger players. I think my mental toughness is getting better, I think everyone knows I thought I was crazy in my head. I want to say thank you guys (to the crowd) for the great energy even if you were cheering on the local player.” She signs off to an appreciative, magnanimous crowd with “sorry guys”.
Next up for her: the USA’s Amanda Anisimova or Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic.
And during that post-match interview, the crack of thunder overhead is followed by another outside-courts suspension of play.
Pavlyuchenkova beats Kartal 7-6 (3), 6-4
Pavlyuchenkova begins with an ace down the middle that Kartal barely sees, and another booming serve makes it 30-0. A double fault keeps Kartal interested but Pav’s nerves are blown away in a brilliant rally that falls her way when Kartal’s backhand drifts out. It brings two match points, and she needs only one of them, spearing a forehand winner into the corner to seal a deserved win that ends Kartal’s hugely entertaining run.
Pavlyuchenkova pulls back to 30-30 before a nerveless serve from Kartal forces an error, and a lovely forehand winner clinches the hold. It’s 5-4 and the Russian will now serve for the match.
On Court 2, Siegemund has won the first set against Sierra, 6-3.
Whatever happens here, Kartal’s been one of the most watchable players of the past week, her doggedness in long rallies a particular delight. And one such gives her an opening at 15-30, but Pavlyuchenkova romps back to 40-30 in short order and seals the hold when Kartal hits long. She’s a game away from the last eight at 5-3.
On Court No 2, Laura Siegemund has a break, 5-3 up against her fellow 100+ ranked non-seed Solara Sierra, and Norrie v Jarry’s gone with serve thus far in the second set. Norrie leads 6-3, 2-2.
Just as Kartal was beginning to look demoralised, she cheers the crowd up with a delicious delicate back-spinning backhand down the line but it’s the only point Pavlyuchenkova concedes in an otherwise flawless service game. She then pegs Kartal back to deuce on the latter’s serve. Kartal’s first double fault of the match brings her back to a second deuce but a more assured point gives her another advantage, which she converts. An essential hold but she needs a break at 6-7, 3-4.
Pavlyuchenkova romps to 0-40 on Kartal’s serve. The first break point is saved but not the second, as the Briton blooters an angled forehand carelessly wide. The Russian has the break – the ninth of the match overall – and is looking the better player here now. She leads 7-6, 3-2.
Meanwhile Mimi Xiu, doubling up in the girls’ and main compeition this year, has won her first round match in the former, beating Thea Frudin of the US in straight sets.
Norrie wins first set against Jarry 6-3
Cameron Norrie squanders the first of two set points against Jarry with a wayward backhand but not the second, a confident serve out wide that his opponent can’t return cleanly. And the British player continues to summon the spirit of his 2022 run here. He’s good value for his one-set lead here.
Something of a golden minute for British hopes: Kartal holds serve with uncharacteristic ease for 2-1, second set, as Cam Norrie breaks for a 5-3 lead against Jarry.
Kartal v Pavlyuchenkova’s second set continues the trends of the first. Kartal is broken by Pavlyuchenkova in the first game of the second set, but then takes advantage of some errors from her opponent to get two break points, which she converts when Pavlyuchenkova nets tamely. An instant break point – 1-1.
Let’s have a scoot around shall we. Over on Centre Court, Nicolas Jarry produces another smooth service game against Cameron Norrie to keep their tie level at 3-3 in the first set And on Court No 2, the fourth-round tie between Laura Siegemund of Germany and Argentina’s Solana Sierra has gone with serve so far at 2-1 to Sierra.
Pavlyuchenkova wins first set against Kartal, 7-6 (3)
Pavlyuchenkova, beginning to look quicker and stronger, wins two points on Kartal’s serve to move 3-0 up in the breaker. An overcooked forehand gifts Kartal her first point but she’s outpointed in the next rally for 4-1. Kartal has the tenacity to stay in long rallies she has no right to win though, and she does so again and then follows it up with a firm wide serve to cut the gap to 4-3. Her opponent still has the breaks though, and two dominant points on serve bring her three set points. Pavlyuchenkova converts the first of them when Kartal clangs a long forehand wide.
That was a wild, breathless first set and you can’t help but sense that that line call injustice has done Pavlyuchenkova a favour. She’s upped her game since then.
We got ourselves a tiebreak as a similarly authoritative service game from Kartal takes us to 6-6, first set. Norrie leads Jarry 2-1, with serve in the first set, and they’ve resumed on the unroofed courts after a rain delay.
And now Pavlyuchenkova moves 6-5 up with a rare emphatic service game in this match – to 15. While Norrie has held serve in the first game against Jarry.