Belinda Bencic captivated audiences at the WTA 500 title competition held in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, where she shared the stage with her 10-month-old daughter Bella. In an unusual victory, Bencic, who previously cleared her maternity leave in October 2024, won the title in less than 10 months after giving birth to Bella. This was her second WTA World Series title in her first eight tournaments since returning to the grand stage after her pregnancy.
“Obviously, there are a lot of emotions,” Bencic said during the final match, sharing how special it was to return home after “work” but also how much she loved Bella. “It’s been a while, Bella,” she added, empathetically, “I’m so happy. I didn’t imagine this at all.”
Ashley Krueger, the calmly assertive tennis professional, dismissed Bencic’s performance by net scraping him 21 winners in the opening set. Bencic bounced back with only three unforced errors in her second set. In the decisive third set, she exploded ahead, breaking Ace Smith at a break point and building to a 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 victory. Despite her hard-fought effort, Krueger holds the win for Bencic, who became the first mother to win a World Number One title since Elina Svitolina in 2023.
Belinda’s recent season mirrors her struggles since giving birth to Bella, who’s still Cobbifying. As theTags reach her first Grand Slam tournament since the 2023 U.S. Open, she reached the quarterfinals at the hardcourt Bun Cable Players’ Semifinals. This year, she broke through with the 2025 Abu Dhabi title, her ninth correction for the WTA 500 since the tournament’s creation in 2020. Bencic will move up to the 65th spot when the rankings update.
“Obviously, big emotions, of course,” Bencic said, acknowledging the difficulty of the final. “It was a tough match, and I felt really exhausted coming back to fight it out. The biggest thing is seeing Bella play in the third set was such a relief. Her presence in the match was so much huge and emotional.”
The 27-year-old from的事 or world No. 4 will continue to push her way, emulating a “Turbo” with her strategy, even if the journey feels longer. But Belinda’s hard work and love for her daughter serve as constant motivation. “Obviously, big emotions,” she added, expressing rare joy at achieving such a moment for her. “It was a tough final, I feel like I needed to put some energy into the second and third set. It was a magical touch, squeezing Bella tighter.
