Belinda Bencic: "I want to get back to the top!"

In September 2023, Belinda Bencic played what was initially her last match on the WTA Tour at the 500-level tournament in San Diego. At that time, she was ranked 15th in the world. Just a few weeks later, she announced her pregnancy – the reason why the Swiss player would be stepping back from the tennis circuit for the time being. In April 2024, Bencic and her partner Martin Hromkovic, who is also her fitness coach, welcomed daughter Bella into the world.

Just six months after Bella’s birth, 27-year-old Bencic is making her comeback on the tennis tour. She has chosen the ITF tournament in Hamburg as her first stop. "I wanted to start at a lower-level category than the ones I usually play,’ she explained at the tournament in the Hanseatic city. ‘I don't feel ready to start at such a high level yet."

It certainly won't be perfect or great yet. But I need this test to see what I need to work on.

But the decision to start at a small level is influenced by many small factors. "The journey wasn't too complicated after Hamburg," she confirms. For the first time, she took her daughter Bella on the plane. Bencic told Tennis Channel DE: "For me, it's about figuring out how everything will work logistically, how it can be combined with being a mum and playing tournaments."

At the same time, the 27-year-old also wants to find out what level of tennis and fitness she is currently at. "At home, we managed all of that. Now we're trying to find a routine at the tournaments. For me, it's a good test to see where I stand – physically and in terms of my match rhythm," said Bencic. "It certainly won't be perfect or great yet. But I need this test to see what I need to work on."

Bencic slowly started working on her comeback just two months after giving birth. "I didn't set myself a time limit. I just wanted to see when I was ready, but I didn't really push anything and I started very slowly," she explains. "In the beginning, I just did a little exercise, then I started jogging a little more and playing tennis. I increased it a little every day and saw how it went."

She was supported by Hromkovic. "Martin learned a lot about the new topic, how to start, with pelvic floor exercises, abdominal and back exercises, to progress step by step." She confirms that she has not yet at 100 percent in terms of performance. Nevertheless, she is positive about her progress: "I enjoy the process and feel very good because I'm improving every day."

How Bencic manages her everyday life as a tennis player and mother

After travelling the world almost constantly as part of the WTA Tour for the past twelve years, Bencic's daily routine has been significantly different in the last 12 months. She put her tennis racket aside and completely refocused on her young family.

"It has been the most beautiful moments of my life. I have really enjoyed every second with my daughter Bella. I have to say, I have a very happy baby. She comes with me to the tennis court, to the gym and she lets me sleep at night," she said with a grin. "The time has been wonderful. We really enjoy every minute and actually no longer know what it was like before."

That's why she decided to compete in the final tournament weeks of 2024. "I felt ready to do a tournament test now. I'm glad we're getting into the tournaments this season so we're ready for anything next season," she added.

Bencic is not only supported by Hromkovic, but also by both of her parents. "My partner is incredible, he's doing a really great job," she enthuses about her boyfriend. "We're a good team. And of course the two grandmas are really keen to come to the tournaments. They also help a lot at home and look after the little one when I go to training. At the moment we are very close-knit and rely on their support."

Bencic inspired by Kerber & Maria

But it wasn't just her family that helped the Swiss star make her decision. Some of her tour colleagues have been travelling from tournament to tournament with children in recent years.

"It inspired me to see that other mums have also managed to do both well." However, the 27-year-old also emphasises that she is not only talking about mothers in tennis. "There are millions of other mums who also have to manage work and several children. We're not a special case."

Bencic was particularly impressed by Tatjana Maria and Angelique Kerber, who have traveled from tournament to tournament with their children. "I often see Tatjana Maria at the tournaments with two children. It's really great how they manage it as a family and it's very inspiring," she said. "I also talked to Angelique a bit about how she managed it all and it's super nice to see."

My goals have not changed. I still want to be one of the world's best!

But even though the ITF tournament in Hamburg is initially intended as a test for Bencic to find out how fit she really is and how life on the tour with daughter Bella can best be managed, Bencic is giving her all to make this test phase the norm soon. After all, her aspirations for her own career are still the same for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist:

"My goals have not changed. I still want to be one of the world's best," she said confidently. What has changed, however, is her personal attitude: "I'm taking it a bit easier now. Tennis was always so important to me, it was my everything. Now I see the world a bit differently and with more distance. It's my job, which I still love and want to do my best at. But there are other things in life too. That's why I'm taking it easier."

She will then return to the tour with her protected ranking, which she is entitled to after her pregnancy break. This also guarantees her entry into two of the four Grand Slam tournaments and five of the ten Masters tournaments in 2025.

In the coming weeks, the Swiss star will now first return to the daily grind of the tour, competing for Switzerland in the Billie Jean King Cup before starting the new year at the United Cup at the end of December.

"It's not really the right time to set goals for this season,’ said Bencic. ‘Next season, I'd like to start in good shape and get back to the top of the world rankings."