Belinda Bencic and New York - it's a special relationship. She celebrates her first major successes at Grand Slams at the US Open and finds out here that she is going to be a mother for the first time.
26.08.2025, 05:00
26.08.2025, 09:01
SDA
After her opening victory at the US Open, Belinda Bencic talks to Keystone-SDA about how much she misses her daughter Bella when she's not with her, but also that it sometimes gets too much for her to keep talking about her role as a tennis-playing mother. The 28-year-old from eastern Switzerland also reveals that the possibility of qualifying for the WTA Finals is definitely in the back of her mind.
Belinda Bencic, you have celebrated great success at the US Open (first Grand Slam quarter-final in 2014, semi-final in 2019). You also found out here two years ago that you were going to be a mother. That's a special relationship, isn't it?
Yes, definitely. I've always felt at home here, starting with the juniors. I was fascinated by the city, the energy, there's so much going on. And Martin (her husband) loves New York too. He even lived here for a year to learn English. We are both thrilled to be here every year. But I also think the tennis conditions suit me. In contrast, Cincinnati is not for me at all, it gets worse every year.
You lost your first match against Kudermetova, but she did reach the semi-finals.
It wasn't that bad. But it's like when you put on new shoes. You notice straight away whether they fit. You can fight your way through, but there are simply some tournaments that suit you better than others. Then there are the night sessions here in New York, which give me so much energy. Other players feel exactly the opposite. You either love it here or you hate it.
After the semi-final in Wimbledon, things didn't go well in Canada and Cincinnati. Is that something that gives you pause for thought?
Not really. We were still thinking about whether I wanted to play in Montreal or whether it would be too much for us and the trip would be too long. In the end I went without Bella and Martin, they came to Cincinnati.
Was this the first time you were traveling without Bella?
No, I've already been in Rome for a few days without her. But it's always really hard. We're still looking for something. It's certainly not ideal for me, I don't feel so good there.
You'll be missing Bella and Martin.
Yes, I feel lost without them.
What was the reaction to the Wimbledon semi-final?
It was more than I expected. I always put my cell phone away and don't read and write back so much when I get far in a tournament. After the tournament, I was surprised that it moved so many people. I think people in Switzerland followed it, which made me very happy. I thought it was nice that it was a bit like 'mommy back'.
People keep asking you about the fact that you are now a mother. Does it ever get too much for you?
I try to be quite open, to give something and not just answer with yes and no. But when they ask you live on TV, on the BBC to boot, things like: 'Now you're in the semi-finals, but are you still changing diapers? Then I have to say: can we please talk about the quarter-final we won? I love being a mother, but at some point it's enough. I don't answer all the questions, they're too private.
At the end of the day, you are still first and foremost a top athlete.
Yes, exactly. Of course, being a mother is part of my identity. But I also want to be known for being a good sportswoman and tennis player.
What do your days off in New York look like?
We live right next to Bryant Park, which I love anyway, it's my favorite place in New York. There are good cafés, restaurants and a children's carousel. So we'll do something there and then train. Apart from that, we don't have that many plans, and we take it easy in the evenings anyway.
It's almost a year since you've been back on the tour and, as number 14 in the annual rankings, you're already fighting to get back into the WTA Finals. Is that on your radar?
It's indirectly on my radar. I know I could achieve it, but I'm not the one who keeps score all the time. It's not something I say I have to achieve now. But of course it would be mega cool.
So you're planning to do the whole Asian tour after the US Open?
I'll have to see. I certainly have to play the 1000 tournaments in Beijing and Wuhan, as well as Tokyo because of my sponsor Yonex. But I'm really looking forward to that because I haven't been there since my Olympic victory. There's another week in between, then there's the tournament in Ningbo.
So it could be that you play four weeks in a row?
I've registered once, but then I'll see how I feel. If I'm eliminated twice in the first round, then it's good. If I get through twice, then we'll see.
