THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 7, 2025

Belinda Bencic

Press Conference

B. BENCIC/E. Alexandrova

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Belinda, through to the quarterfinals. You must be feeling pretty good right now.

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I'm really happy. Finally I managed to do the next step to go to the quarterfinals. So, of course, I'm very relieved. Thought it was a really good match out there.

Of course, in the end some nerves to close it out, but I'm really happy with everything today. I played her just in Bod Hamburg the last tournament. I thought I did many things much better today, which I think made a difference. So I'm really happy about that.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was going through your head when your victory was confirmed at that moment? You were quite emotional at the end of the match.

BELINDA BENCIC: Well, I think in this moment it's just all the stress going away from you. I think your body just reacts with, like, breathing out and kind of knowing that finally don't need to worry about the next point. Just kind of, yeah, it's done.

So for sure, like, the relief is the biggest emotion, but also joy and kind of little bit like after a fight, your emotions are so high. So it's tough to, like, describe one. It's kind of crazy what goes through your mind.

Yeah, just joy and relief, I would say.

Q. It was a lovely on-court interview afterwards. You gave a shout-out to mums who juggle. What is the best piece of advice you were given about coming back to work after having a baby?

BELINDA BENCIC: It's very difficult to say one piece of advice. I think it's very individual, for sure. I think you have to for sure be ready and also be content in what you're going to do. There's no point of trying to force things and just going back to work.

I feel like you have to be really prepared for not being able to do everything perfectly, you know? I think what I try sometimes in the household, in the tennis court, being a mom, I think you just have to let some things go. You have to compromise. You have to, yeah, just let some things go.

I'm really lucky I have a great support from all my family, especially my husband. Shout-out to him. Also, I didn't want to say just moms who juggle, but also dads and parents in general. I want to make that clear (smiling).

Q. When you first came back on the tour less than a year ago after having your daughter, did you think your level would be this high? Are you surprised at all by your level or not really at all?

BELINDA BENCIC: I am surprised. I'm really happy about it. Of course, I try not to think about it. I feel great on the practice court. When I was coming back, that's why I felt like I came back earlier than expected, than I expected for myself.

Yeah, I'm also surprised about how fast the results are coming. I think it's just really a result of the work we put in and also the mindset that I have now. Of course, you could see I'm trying my best to win. I'm fighting with everything I have on the court. I still want to win very badly.

I think it's much different now. Yeah, as I said, I am surprised. But of course, I'm not going to complain about it.

Q. About motherhood, how would you describe how things are different now as a competitor and as a person for you to be on tour as a mom?

BELINDA BENCIC: It's a very general question. Of course, everything is very different. I think I have a different approach. I don't practice as much as I used to. I still try to do the best on the practice court and on the match court. I feel like I am more productive because I have less time.

Then it's also really nice to spend time off the court and kind of make, like, on the tournaments, you have to kind of pretend that it's the real life. You have to, I don't know, try to make the day as normal as possible and not try not to hang out on-site all the time and just go see places, go see aquariums, I don't know, play places, kindergarten just so I think it feels as normal as possible for us to travel around the world and be kind of like a week in every city.

It's kind of challenging. Also, yeah, we try to make it as normal as possible.

Q. How does it feel for you different? What's the feeling you get from the sport and being in it now that you are a mom?

BELINDA BENCIC: I have the same feeling. When I'm on court, I'm the same tennis player like I was before. I am doing the best as I can on the court. I'm still very - how do you say - not emotional, but I really care a lot about my sport. I want to do the best. So on the court I'm the same.

Q. I think you're the last player in the female draw who is a mother. Does that surprise you? Do you think anything could be done to help more women in the sport have children?

BELINDA BENCIC: I don't know if it surprise me. Of course, I'm really happy about it. I also got inspired a lot from other players.

I don't look at the draw and see, like, Okay, I'm the last mom, I have to win. That's not how it works. For sure not.

I'm really happy for everyone who does well. I think everyone has their own story coming back from injury or just grinding their way or being up-and-coming player or being a player that's been on the tour for years. I'm really generally happy for everyone.

I mean, I think the sport is doing the best to be in the right direction for moms to make it easier to also take the decision to have a family and also for current moms that are just on the tour right now.

I definitely think it's going in a good direction for our sport, and also we are showing the way for other sports, I would say.

Q. You've been on four courts now. Last week you said you lost a bit of trust in Hawk-Eye. After yesterday's error on Centre Court, have you lost more trust in it?

BELINDA BENCIC: Honestly, yes, I don't trust it. I don't, like, want to talk about it too much, but it's really stressful. Sometimes you see a ball that's out. You want to stop playing, but now I'm reminding myself to just play every ball.

It's difficult to say. I don't just feel this in my matches. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm not sure. But I also see a lot of bad calls in other matches.

Q. Cilic said one of his own serves, he said he thinks it went that far out. Do you ever notice maybe your own shots going...

BELINDA BENCIC: Sometimes, yes. Yeah, at one serve I almost stopped playing because I thought they're going to call it out, and she kept playing. I was like, Okay.

Yeah, I'm really trying to focus on playing every ball and not stopping play just because my eyes think that the ball is in or out.

Of course, the incident on Centre Court yesterday was tough for Pavlyuchenkova. She definitely won the game.

Q. On the court you said that this tournament is the one you always wanted to play good. Maybe you are too young to remember Martina Hingis won this tournament, but what is oldest memory regarding this tournament? Why this tournament is so special for you?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, so I don't remember that one because it was the year I was born, '97. I've seen it on replay. I know she won, yeah, Wimbledon in 1997.

I think the youngest memory I have is when Roger Federer won it in 2003. I was 6 years old. He was holding the beautiful trophy. I said, Oh, I really want to have this trophy as well. Then I realized for the woman it's a different trophy. I think that's the first memory I have.

Then, of course, all the years that Roger won Wimbledon, we were all watching always. Also the crazy match in 2008 with Rafael Nadal in the final.

Yeah, I have a lot of memories of watching Wimbledon on TV as a child and obviously hoping to play here one day.

Q. A lot of talk this week about how grass is becoming a niche surface, sort of a unique surface, because players' games are built for hard courts. You are someone who had success on grass quickly. Did you have that period of adjustment where you didn't feel comfortable on it and you had to change things or whether it came naturally to you?

BELINDA BENCIC: It came very naturally to me. I played on grass for the first time in a junior tournament in Halle. It was the first time I stepped on it and hit a few balls. It was so natural. I was like, Wow, I love this surface from the first moment that I was on it. For me, I didn't have to do any adjustments.

Me personally, I would wish the grass season to be longer. I would wish the grass season to maybe have a 1000 tournament. I really enjoy it every year.

I think it's tough because me personally, I would choose to play four tournaments on grass every week that there is. Of course, you have to be your best in Wimbledon and kind of also save your energy a little bit for Wimbledon. So it's a bit tricky to kind of go through the grass season without playing too much.

I feel like I just played one tournament before Wimbledon, then Wimbledon. That's it for the grass season. I think that's a bit of a shame.