The 2021 season didn’t start as well as Belinda Bencic might have hoped. While she reached the third round in the Australian Open, she fared worse in the next two Grand Slam tournaments. However, her performance in the Tokyo Olympics seems to have brought her season back on track.
She clinched two medals in her first Olympic appearance. While she clinched a silver medal with Viktorija Golubic in women’s doubles, she clinched an unprecedented gold medal in the women’s singles category.
After her impressive performance, the 24-year-old would be looking to achieve more success at the US Open. However, she will take part in the Cincinnati Open prior to that. While taking questions on her success in Tokyo, she admitted her achievements at the Games satisfies her for the rest of her career.
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Belinda Bencic admits achieving success in the Tokyo Olympics “is already amazing”
Bencic missed the 2016 Rio Olympics due to injury. However, she didn’t disappoint in her Olympic debut a few weeks ago. She defeated Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova to become the first Swiss female tennis player to win Olympic gold.
Seeded 10th in the Cincinnati Open, the 24-year-old will look to continue her form all the way to the US Open. However, she admitted her success at the Olympics is enough to make her cherish her career.
She said, “Now I feel like people are going always to ask, ‘What do you do next? What is your goal?’ to put pressure and everything. For me, achieving this, it’s already amazing. If I stop my career tomorrow I can be very happy about everything.”
READ MORE: Will US Open 2021 Have Fans?
Bencic: Don’t want to define my next dream
While she admitted she already achieved her dreams, she looks forward to playing tennis with a sense of freedom.
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“I think it’s still very difficult in women’s tennis. I think everyone is playing very well,” said Bencic. She added, “I just really want to play freely and enjoy it. I’ve already reached my dreams.
“I can really relax and enjoy my tennis and work hard still for what’s to come. I don’t want to define what’s my next dream.”
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While she has achieved Olympic success, and appears to be content with her efforts, she’ll be looking to do her best in the upcoming Grand Slam. By winning in Tokyo, she looks in good stead for the hard court season. Can Bencic clinch her maiden Grand Slam in Flushing Meadows? Only time will tell.
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