THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2025

Belinda Bencic

Press Conference

B. BENCIC/E. Cocciaretto

6-4, 3-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Belinda, could you just talk a little bit about the match today.

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, it was a very close match. Of course, a lot of nerves. I'm really happy I'm through. It was a big fight out there. I'm happy to come back after a break down in the third.

Yeah, I thought we showed a really good match. It was, of course, difficult with the rain, no rain, going back and forth. It was a bit windy. It was tricky out there today.

But I'm really happy with my fighting spirit and, of course, very happy to be in the round four.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What were your expectations? What was your thinking coming into this tournament? What are the emotions now at this stage?

BELINDA BENCIC: I don't know. In the start it's always you are looking at your first round. I think I had a really tough first round against an opponent that I don't like to play so much.

So my expectations are always on the next match. I really don't like to look forward. I know I'm a bit boring in this. I never make a huge statement publicly because I think it's just for myself to focus, not to look ahead of myself.

Of course, I really happy to be in the fourth round. Super nice. I think I fought really well today against an opponent that was very dangerous, and she was really playing great, taking the ball early.

Yeah, I think it was a high-quality match. I think I could have done -- even though I won, I think I could have done some things better, played a little bit more brave even in the end, and just go for it a little bit more. But I think it was also smart, you know, to kind of be steady and solid and, like, really, yeah, tried to make her play also in these tight moments.

Q. You came back after having baby. I guess it's not easy. Please tell me how do you describe your process to come back after having a baby?

BELINDA BENCIC: Well, it was a long process. Of course, not easy, as you said, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I think I have a great support of my husband and all my family to be able to do what I love still and to have some great years ahead of me.

We are traveling with her. So far everything is going really good. We're enjoying ourselves. Sometimes I feel even more relaxed with a different perspective, you know, playing on the tournaments, maybe being more grateful that I'm able to play and to have these beautiful moments together.

Of course, tennis-wise it was always the plan to come back, so we had a good plan for the comeback. Yeah, just working really hard and, yeah, doing the best that we can. I definitely think the results came earlier than we thought, but I'm not going to complain about that.

Q. You had to miss Roland Garros because of an arm injury. Can you talk about what a setback that was for you after such a good opening start to the season and how much of a challenge it is to regain your form afterwards.

BELINDA BENCIC: I don't think it was a huge setback, to be honest. I think it's normal that as a professional athlete you always have some niggles here and there.

With the season that we have it's normal that there's always going to be some tournament that we are going to miss. I'm not just talking for myself, but I think there's rarely a player that just plays through every season for years, you know.

So I don't see it as a big setback. I accepted the situation and tried to do my recovery the best I can and tried to stay healthy. Of course, I had results much earlier than we thought, so maybe it was just the process of my comeback.

I think it's normal to have this, and I'm happy, of course, every time I can play.

Q. You were talking about being a mother. The WTA has made a lot of progress, improvements in recent years in terms of supporting mothers on tour. Does it feel to you, from speaking to maybe other mothers on tour, that it's kind of the best time ever to kind of be making that transition as an athlete in this sport?

BELINDA BENCIC: Yeah, I definitely think so. It's been going into the right direction for sure in the past years. I think the WTA is really leading the way also for other sports, which I think is absolutely great.

I think it will make a lot of decisions easier for other female athletes or tennis players at the moment to have a family and to take that decision. I definitely think there is room for improvement, as with everything. So I hope that we are leading the way and, of course, showing that it's more and more possible.

Also, I got inspired by other athletes having a baby and coming back and, of course, other tennis players.

Q. When you say "room for improvement," is there anything in particular that you would say could be improved from your experience?

BELINDA BENCIC: Well, I mean, it's a lot of things to go into detail, but I think also for us athletes -- for everyone, not just for moms, I think the season is crazy. It's impossible to play so many mandatory tournaments that we have. To finish a season in the middle of November and then having to fly to Australia in the middle of December, it's just really difficult. Now even more difficult to combine this with your family. There are for sure going to be tournaments that I'm going to choose to play and tournaments that I will just not be able to play.

I don't really agree with them kind of then giving you a fine or, you know, giving you a zero pointer, which affects your ranking, which is not replaceable.

For me this is something that can improve, but for everyone. Not just for moms, yeah.

Q. What you've done is really unusual to come back and sort of get the results you have so quickly. I just wondered how important you thought it was -- the back end of last year you played quite low-level events, and maybe some people were surprised by that. How useful was that in kind of building your level gradually rather than going straight into a Masters 1000 or a Grand Slam?

BELINDA BENCIC: I think for everyone it's different. For me this is the way to go also after some of my injuries that I had. This is the way I like to go because I feel like I have to build up. I cannot just go straight into it, like you said. I gain more confidence with playing more matches.

I don't see the point of coming back and losing your first three rounds, and then you're not able to get match play, but you're still, like, playing against the best players in the world. So for me it's more important to have some wins under your belt, kind of, you know, be able to improve some things and transition from the practice court to the match court.

Yeah, to have that match play and then feel more confident, you know, going step by step up to the level that you've been. This is the way for me, and I don't care if people are surprised or not. This is just our plan.

Q. I'm just wondering if you had any thoughts about Wimbledon's plan to expand and bring the qualifying tournament from Roehampton over to here in a construction project? I wondered if you have any thoughts about that or if you think it's a good idea.

BELINDA BENCIC: I heard about it briefly, but I don't know when is this going to be, or I don't heard a lot about it.

I think it's, for sure, amazing when a tournament is investing and trying to do the best for the players. I really think the qualifying, it's also a part of the event, so I think it would be really nice to be onsite.

I really didn't put so much thought into it, but yeah, I think it would be nice.