Tennis star and mommy Belinda Bencic: "There won't be a second comeback"

After the birth of her daughter, Belinda Bencic has made a strong comeback. The 2021 Olympic champion talks to Keystone-SDA about family planning, her fans and her plans for the coming year.

Keystone-SDA

26.11.2025, 05:00

27.11.2025, 11:18

SDA

After a two-week vacation in the Maldives, Belinda Bencic is already back in full swing. She has just returned home from training in Monaco. A meeting at the airport is the best place to be. Wearing a white sweater with a four-leaf clover as a pendant, she makes herself comfortable in the café in the arrivals hall. The 28-year-old from eastern Switzerland is definitely happy with her first season since the birth of her daughter Bella in April 2024. She has won two tournaments, reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon and is already ranked number 11 in the world again.

Belinda Bencic, welcome back to Switzerland. Would you have preferred to stay in the south in this weather?

(laughs) "No, not at all. It snows quite heavily in some places and I like seeing snow."

What's it actually like when you travel? Do people often talk to you?

"From time to time, but not when I'm not in my tennis clothes. Then people don't even think about it. In Switzerland, people tend to look rather than talk to you anyway."

After the interview with Keystone-SDA, Bencic is asked for a few photos in the café. A request she is happy to comply with.

Does it make a difference if you are out and about with your daughter?

"I don't know at all. (ponders) I'm so focused on my child that I don't pay much attention to people. But I don't have a problem if someone comes up and asks something. The worst thing is when you've just bitten off something and have it in your mouth. That happened a lot in China and Japan recently. There were often fans at the breakfast buffet, they are definitely less reserved and just make their videos and so on. The people there are very enthusiastic about tennis anyway."

When you take your daughter Bella onto the court with you at the award ceremony in Tokyo, is that a conscious decision or is it more spontaneous?

"It was a special moment. I realized how proud everyone was of me and how we were doing everything. It's a sense of gratitude that we feel as a family that we have such a good situation, that everything is working out."

It's not always easy with children.

"At the beginning, I also thought it would be private and I wouldn't show pictures everywhere. But I think that's just what we do. We just live our lives and there are lots of media and photographers. It's a life in the public eye, there are pluses and minuses. But when Martin (Hromkovic, her husband) and Bella are off the pitch anyway, it would be strange for me not to go and see them. And then at some point you say to yourself, we can't hide them. We don't have a plan or anything, we just go with the flow."

How much does Bella already notice, for example from all the traveling?

"I think a child who is one and a half years old doesn't really need more than her parents. She doesn't really care where she wakes up now, whether it's in New York, Tokyo or wherever. The most important thing is actually that she travels well and is fine with flying."

You probably fly business class from time to time. Some people say you shouldn't be allowed to do that with children. Have you had any negative reactions?

"No, and I don't find that problematic either. Flying is part of public transport, so if you don't want to have children with you, you have to take a private plane. Of course, you have to make sure that children don't disturb the other passengers too much, but I've never had a guilty conscience. But I must also say that Bella is doing very well."

In the autumn, you had a mammoth schedule and then treated yourself to a ten-day vacation in the Maldives with your husband - without your little daughter. Are you able to switch off completely or do you always have to train a little?

"I always need three days to switch off mentally. To put my cell phone away, to do nothing, to read a book. I always do a bit of fitness training during the vacations too, I'd say it's a habit of the job."

Otherwise the return to work would be too brutal.

"Exactly. But it's more like jogging in the morning or doing exercises with my own weight. I've been used to that my whole life, I kind of need it to start the day well."

How much did you miss your daughter?

"I think it's the same for every mommy. Every mommy misses her children every second she's not with them. But the vacations did us a lot of good. We also had a bit of togetherness and a bit of a break before next year, because of course things will continue in the same way and we'll be traveling everywhere together. Then there's the exception that I travel alone for a week. It's just my job, I have to be professional."

Nevertheless, you see your daughter more on days with three hours of training than mothers with a normal job.

(laughs) It's more like six hours of training. But of course that's a huge privilege. I can take her to the tennis court, to the gym, our setup is really perfect. The huge support from the whole family, especially grandmas and grandpas, is also worth its weight in gold."

Could you imagine becoming a mother again and then making a second comeback?

"No."

But after the end of your career?

"Sure, definitely that."

Now the first Christmas is approaching, which Bella is perhaps already experiencing a little consciously.

(laughs) "Yes, on the plane. We're leaving on December 24th and will be in China on the 25th, where there's an exhibition with Swiatek, Rybakina and a few men. And then we're going to Perth in Australia for the United Cup (Bencic is playing in the mixed competition with Stan Wawrinka)."

Last season was very successful. But were there also difficult moments?

"I have the feeling that everything went very, very smoothly. Of course, the US Open didn't go as I had hoped (losing in the 2nd round). But that happens in our sport and will happen again next year. Even if you go into a tournament in top form, someone can simply be better on the day."

What is your goal for the coming season?

"It's always going up. The first goal is definitely to attack the top ten. It doesn't take much more, but it's still another step."

And show the world once again how successful a mother can be?

"I don't think that's even the point. In your private life it's very nice, but on the court it doesn't count whether you're a mommy or not. As a tennis player, everyone just wants to be as successful as possible."

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