“It’s unbelievable,” Aryna Sabalenka inspired by Belinda Bencic’s remarkable return to tennis in 2025
Switzerland's Belinda Bencic won her first title as a mother at the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open title on Saturday.
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Aryna Sabalenka and Belinda Bencic (via X)
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka praised Belinda Bencic after her WTA Abu Dhabi title win. Bencic made a strong comeback just four months after maternity leave. She defeated Ashlyn Krueger 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 to win the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open on Saturday.
Bencic is the first mother to win a WTA singles title since Elina Svitolina’s victory in Strasbourg in May 2023. Her journey has inspired many, including Sabalenka. The Belarusian hopes to use this motivation to return to winning form.
It’s amazing, honestly. She just came back, I think she had a great run at the Australian Open, and now she’s holding the trophy. It’s unbelievable, I’m super happy for her, she definitely earned it. Like she said, she worked really hard for this, and it’s good to see. It gives us hope that probably when we’re all looking to have babies, we’ll have a chance to come back if we want to.
Aryna Sabalenka said on Straits Time
Sabalenka is ranked No. 1 in the world and has won three Grand Slam titles. However, she recently suffered a tough loss in the Australian Open final against Madison Keys.
She had won the Australian Open twice before and aimed for a third title. But this time, she fell short in a three-set battle, ending her hopes of a three-peat in Melbourne.
Belinda Bencic wins first title as a mother
Belinda Bencic is the first mother to win a WTA singles title since Elina Svitolina’s victory in Strasbourg in May 2023. This is her ninth career WTA singles title. It is also her first title since winning the same Abu Dhabi tournament in 2023. She has a perfect 9-0 record at this event.
Bencic has returned to top form very quickly. After coming back in October 2024, she played in a WTA 125 event, an ITF Challenger, and the Billie Jean King Cup Playoffs. She then began her WTA-level comeback at the United Cup in January.
She picked up wins fast, including reaching the Round of 16 at the Australian Open. It was her first Grand Slam since the 2023 US Open. Now, after her Abu Dhabi title win, she has a strong 10-3 record this season.
Bencic is currently ranked No. 157 in the world. She is the third-lowest-ranked player to win a WTA 500 title. Only Alexandra Dulgheru (No. 201 in 2009) and Serena Williams (No. 169 in 2011) were ranked lower when they won.
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Fahad Hamid
(705 Articles Published)