Fellow WTA pro Jaimee Fourlis spotlighted Bencic’s remarkable year on this week’s episode of The Tennis, praising the consistency which has seen Bencic rewarded with one of the biggest ranking rises on tour.
“Belinda Bencic has had an incredible year since giving birth to her daughter, Bella,” Fourlis said, as the Swiss nears her 40th match win this season.
“It’s incredible the amount of tennis she has played this year and consistently beating top-20 players, top-10 players.”
Returning to the site of her Olympic gold medal run from 2021, Bencic defeated fellow top-20 talent Linda Noskova 6-2 6-3 in the recent Tokyo final.
That title placed her on the cusp of a return to the WTA top 10, a position in which she found herself consistently from 2019 until her break from tennis to start a family.
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The way Bencic has been able to rediscover some of her best tennis, so quickly, is truly remarkable – all while competing each month this year and steadily improving her ranking throughout.
With Bencic joined by Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina in the top 20, these WTA superstars are shattering the old narrative that athletes cannot return to their peak after having a child – an inspiration for every player regardless of the path they choose.