When requested to foretell potential first-time Grand Slam winners on the ladies’s facet, the identify Belinda Bencic continues to pop up.
The Swiss returned from maternity depart on a mission in 2025, climing from exterior of the Prime 900 to No.11 on the planet by the top of the season.
She’s since began 2026 on a tear, successful her first six matches – 5 on the United Cup, together with a win over Iga Swiatek – and touchdown within the second spherical in Melbourne, the place she’ll face 19-year-old qualifier Nikola Bartunkova subsequent.
Bencic, recognized for her uncanny potential to chop off the corners and take the ball on the rise, is 28 years previous. May the Swiss, a former world No.4 with ten singles titles to her identify, be coming into her finest years as a professional?
Judging from her tennis, and her personal notion of her tennis, it might be the case.
Requested what might be the reason for her latest run of dominance, Bencic talked of all of the enhancements she has made to her sport. Firstly, the motion that facilitates her potential to take time away from her opponents by dwelling contained in the baseline throughout rallies. Nobody else in ladies’s tennis does it fairly the way in which Bencic does, nevertheless it’s an especially demanding model to play. Health is paramount, and Bencisc lists motion as her largest enchancment.
“I feel I undoubtedly improved in my motion I might say,” she instructed reporters after defeating Katier Boulter 6-0, 7-5 on Day 3.
Bencic says her serve and her internet sport have improved as nicely.
“I additionally assume my serve bought extra regular, higher. I might say my internet sport, as nicely. I can see that largely in follow. I nonetheless attempt to incorporate it a little bit bit extra in matches. I imply, clearly I’m superb at taking the swing volleys. However I feel the common volley additionally bought higher.”
If we name Bencic’s put up maternity depart tennis her second profession, it’s doable to imagine that each one her enhancements may take her again to the Prime-5 and perhaps even greater. Final yr’s first-time Grand Slam winner was Madison Keys, who lastly got here into her personal on the sports activities’ largest stage at 29. Possibly Bencic can be this yr’s coming of age story.
We actually wouldn’t rule it out. She was two wins from getting there final yr at Wimbledon, lower than a yr into her comeback. In fact the chances are troublesome in a world the place Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff populate the highest three, however don’t sleep on Bencic, not when she’s enjoying this nicely and bettering at a speedy clip.
The Swiss will flip 29 in March – primarily based on her instantly unbeatable type, she may even make it to the promised land earlier than that.
