Olympic champion Belinda Bencic’s return after having her first child, daughter Bella, adds a new layer of intrigue before the 2025 campaign as the 27-year-old believes her best tennis could still be unlocked in future. Building back match sharpness is one thing, holding your own among top players again is another but chaining everything together with consistency? A different equation.
Bencic bullish, as the new mum should be
BELINDA Bencic isn’t the same, but you wouldn’t expect her to be.
Instead, three-and-a-half years removed from clinching Olympic gold in Tokyo, the new mother-of-one has quietly been building the base with which to showcase a new edge as the 2025 season is underway.
“It’s not impossible to come back and play at least at the level I played before, really feel like I’m still young, confident I still have a lot of good years ahead of me. I’m not coming back just to be average, I want to go and have more success.”
Alongside husband and fitness coach Martin Hromkovic, she has been hitting balls and establishing reps once again while getting to grips with the new normal in her personal life, eight-month-old daughter Bella.
After ending a 13-month layoff on the ITF circuit with indoor hard court play in Germany and Luxembourg, the 27-year-old represented Switzerland in Billie Jean King Cup play weeks later.
She rounded out an unofficial preseason of sorts by reaching the finals at WTA 125 level across singles and doubles play with teenage compatriot Celine Naef, perhaps a little undercooked for eight best-of-three matches in six days.
Less than three weeks later, she’s acclimatising to Australia once more and based in Sydney for the next week as Switzerland’s marquee name in United Cup play, drawn with France and Italy as her own Australian Open preparations ramp up.
So far, so good. A straight-sets victory (6-3, 6-1) over France’s Chloe Paquet overnight, she saved five of six break points faced and refused to give the 30-year-old an opportunity to build rhythm on serve.
When giving birth back in April, she was unsure whether the January timeline was realistic. Modest core exercises, eight weeks post-partum, set the wheels in motion. On her return, she said this on progression and seasonal goals, all things considered:
“Well, I’m definitely improving every day. So that’s very motivating for me to see improvement. I think my tennis is there, that’s like riding a bike, don’t think you lose that. I can definitely still improve the physical side, already did a lot, my movement, reaction and just physical condition.
I was really satisfied with how played in France, results went well. Everything I practiced got better, also movement in my game. We felt like, ‘OK, it’s enough. I really have to get back to work now. I need to be ready for United Cup.’ Really excited to see how it’s going to go — against better players.”
She’ll likely play Italy’s Jasmine Paolini next tomorrow, who pitched a career-best 2024 campaign reaching back-to-back Major finals (French Open, Wimbledon) after winning her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai, as well as four doubles titles alongside compatriot Sara Errani – including Olympic gold on Parisian clay. Steady steps.
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes hyperlinked
Mo and Sports 