“We first met when I was 10 and he gave me more advice on how to properly plan my scheduling,” said Belinda Bencic, the 2020 Olympic Games gold medalist about the Swiss Maestro Roger Federer. Roger has been a mentor for the former world No. 4 since the time she first held the tennis racket. She later went on to play alongside Federer in the doubles. The Swiss duo has always gotten along nicely, since their first pair-up back in 2018! However, is the relationship only involved around doubles? Absolutely not! It’s much more than that, even off-court.

The duo got involved in their first doubles match, at the 2018 Hopman Cup, which of course they won by beating Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber  4-3 (5-3) 4-2. “It was a dream come true to win the Hopman Cup this year with Roger, I enjoyed every minute of it,” Bencic remarked after their win. They partnered again in the 2019 edition of the tournament where they beat Germany 2-1, becoming consecutive winners of the Hopman Cup. However, their friendship didn’t end there.

As Bencic won the 2019 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Roger did not hesitate to share his views about his fellow countrywoman.  “I’m really happy for her, but I definitely didn’t expect it. I still think, like she also thought, it was sort of work in progress, her whole comeback. But this is what sports does, they write great stories. “I thought the way she did it was tremendous, beating four Top 10 players in exhilarating matches, to be honest. I think that was wonderful for her,” Roger said.

Later, after her triumph against Naomi Osaka in 2019 Indian Wells R16, Bencic gave due credit to Roger as well. “Yeah, definitely he was always checking up if I was doing better. Even last year when I got injured in Miami, I ask him, you know, and his physio took a look at me. And actually, you know, he tried to help me with, you know, getting the right people for my injury because, I mean, he’s a pro at everything,” the former World No. 4 revealed.

In 2020, Federer did not forget to congratulate Bencic for her Olympic glory, after she beat Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova in the gold medal match in Tokyo. “HISTORY🇨🇭🥇 @belindabencic 🤩,” Roger posted on Instagram.

After Roger’s retirement, the former Gold medalist, who is making a strong comeback at the first Slam of the 2025 season after giving birth to her daughter Bella, sought help about parenthood from him. “Yeah, for sure. I mean, we talk from time to time. Of course, he has four kids so that’s a whole different situation. You know, I saw them at the Hopman Cup and also in the Grand Slams, and it’s just impressive how the whole logistics works with them. I think that’s something we can pick up from and learn from it,” Bencic said.

To summarize, the pair maintains a strong friendship both on and off the court. Roger Federer would be delighted with his compatriot’s performance in the Melbourne Major, as she takes on Coco Gauff in the fourth round.

Australian Open 2025: Belinda Bencic is through to the fourth round 

It’s the Happy Slam time of the year! The Australian Open has kicked off on a high note for the 27-year-old Swiss Belinda Bencic after she started her season at the Adelaide International. Although she was knocked out from R16 in Adelaide, the Swiss bounced back in the AO, beating Jelena Ostapoenko and Suzan Lamens in round one and two respectively, before getting a Walkover victory over Naomi Osaka in the third round after beating her in the first set 7-6 (7-3). 

However, who did he get in the fourth round? Well, current No. 3 American Coco Gauff. Sharing her thoughts about the American superstar ahead of the match, she said, “Coco obviously one of the best players in the world right now. I was able to watch her a little bit when I was just lying on the couch for the last nine months. So, yeah, of course, very difficult opponent,” Bencic added. 

Bencic and Coco have faced each other twice previously. First in Adelaide in 2021 where the Swiss won in three sets before Gauff returned the favor in two sets on the hard court of D.C. in 2023. However, since then, Coco has been on a rolling journey in her tennis career, while Bencic, is coming back from a maternity leave after giving birth to her child Bella on April 23, 2024. 

Will Bencic be able to pull off an upset? Share your thoughts in the comments below.