Bencic: "My goal continues to be to win a Grand Slam"

Fernando Murciego | 28 Nov 2024 | 21.00

Belinda Bencic talks about her plans in 2025. Source: Getty

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Four victories in six matches, this is the record that Belinda Bencic has achieved upon her return to tennis after becoming a mother for the first time. The Swiss decided to pause her career to start a family, a challenge that has long ceased to be a utopia for our players. Still at 27 years old, the native of Flawil will start the 2025 season ranked #907 in the WTA, although this is the least of her concerns.

Accompanied by a former coach (Ian Hughes), and her physical trainer who is also her husband (Martin Hromkovic), the Swiss is counting down the days until December 21st, the date she will board a plane to Australia. On that flight, of course, little Bella will also be there, experiencing her first season on the circuit, although she probably won't be aware of much. In an interview with Tennis Magazin, Bencic reveals some stages of her pregnancy and emphasizes the goals she still has pending.

Return to the circuit

"Certainly, everything happened faster than I could have expected. At first, I didn't set any date or time limit, the truth is I didn't want to pressure myself on that matter and also didn't know what could happen. All I thought about was the birth of my daughter, how I would feel afterward. People kept asking me about my comeback, but I couldn't give them much information."

First steps after becoming a mother

"Eight weeks after giving birth, I started moving a little and exercising again, that was all my body allowed. At first, it was tough, I felt slow in every action I took, until suddenly I felt fast again, very fast. It was as if muscle memory knew again what I was doing. I must confess that I still don't feel in top form, I'm far from that, but even I am surprised that I was able to compete again in such a short time."

Retiring was never an option

"I worked for a long time, trained all my childhood and sacrificed a lot for my tennis career. That's why now I want to overcome this phase, I don't want to give it up. Maybe I will regret it later, but right now I want to give everything I have. I am only 27 years old, I believe I have many good years ahead, so coming back was never up for debate. It was a conscious decision, like starting a family, in that sense, I was very inspired to see other moms who managed to return and play at the same level as before. I read a statistic that said 75% of mothers returned to reach the same level as before, and 49% even improved their performance."

400 days without tennis

"I found it nice to have a break, overall, I don't think the tennis life is so horrible. Of course, it is demanding, you have to be mentally prepared and train a lot, but I always knew what to expect, that's why I decided to do it. I'm not someone who dwells on how bad things are, I think I have a super good life that allows me to do many things. I can visit many places, get to know new cultures, this world has opened many doors for me, so I am satisfied."

Return to the circuit

"I will play the tournaments where I can enter. At the moment, my participation in the United Cup is assured, while in the Australian Open I will use the protected ranking. Of course, the issue of a protected ranking is something I have to study, look at when it makes sense to use it and when not. I also have to be honest and assess my level of play, as well as pay attention to my ranking. What is certain is that I want to play many tournaments; in Grand Slams, it will probably be Australia and Wimbledon [...] I am still not sure about Roland Garros, we will see if I can qualify on my own or if I have to go through the qualifying rounds."

The lifelong goal

"I still set goals for myself, I still have the goal of winning a Grand Slam title. I don't know when, I also don't pressure myself with time, but it would be great if it happened at the end of my career. On the other hand, I am already satisfied with my career, from a sporting point of view, I think the Olympic victory is the most beautiful thing I have experienced as a player. It is difficult to set a goal for 2025 because I still don't know which tournaments I will be able to play; for now, I want to move up in the rankings."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Bencic: “Mi objetivo sigue siendo ganar un Grand Slam”