Belinda Bencic celebrated her return to tennis with a heartfelt victory at the Abu Dhabi Open, holding her baby daughter, Bella, in her arms after defeating Ashlyn Krueger 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the final.
This marks Bencic’s ninth WTA title, and her first since becoming a mother.
At 27, the Swiss former Olympic champion made an impressive comeback, overcoming a set down to claim the win against 20-year-old Krueger.
Bencic’s victory comes just 10 months after the birth of her first child and under four months since returning to the sport following more than a year away on maternity leave.
“It’s been a while,” Bencic said, addressing the appreciative crowd at Zayed Sports City International Tennis Centre. Her previous WTA title had also come at this same tournament in February 2023.
“I’m super happy to be back here in Abu Dhabi. I didn’t expect this,” she added, becoming emotional as the presenter began to cry during the award presentation.
When Bencic made her comeback in October, her world ranking had plummeted to 1,213.
However, she reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in her Grand Slam return, and her performance in Abu Dhabi helped her break back into the top 100. With this win, she is set to rise to No. 65 in the rankings.
Krueger, ranked 51st, had been a strong contender, and despite her loss, she showed resilience throughout the match.
Bencic was broken four times in the first set but regained her form to defeat top seed Elena Rybakina in the semifinals and ultimately claim the title.
In her courtside interview, a disappointed but gracious Krueger praised Bencic, saying, “It’s so impressive that you’ve come back after becoming a mother. It’s really inspirational, so congratulations and good luck.”
