Belinda Bencic took a maternity break from tennis after competing in the San Diego WTA tournament in September 2023. The Swiss star welcomed her daughter, Bella, with her partner Martin Hromkovic, 7 months later. And now the 27-year-old is gearing up for her return to the circuit next season. It’s unusual for players to take a break to start a family when they are going strong in the circuit. But not for the Swiss star, as she opened up about her choice to enter motherhood.

Bencic returned to the competition back in October, at the ITF tournament in Hamburg. And went on to participate in another ITF tournament at the BJK Cup to get ready for the Australian Open. The Tokyo Olympics gold medalist recently revealed the reason why she decided to start a family at the peak of her career.

During an interview with Tennis Magazin, on November 28, the former World No.4 was questioned, “Does the decision to interrupt your career feel right? You could have waited. At 26, you were still young when you gave birth.” The ever-so-unfettered Bencic answered, “For me, it feels just right. We made a conscious decision.”

While some may think that interrupting her career at the peak might not be the right move, the Swiss star is happy with her decision. She further added, “I think it’s better to interrupt my career now and be able to play for a few more years, rather than having the pressure of having to stop at 33 or so.” Furthermore, Bencic opened up about her biggest dream in life. She said, “My biggest dream is to have a family. I thought it was better this way. Now I can play as long as I can and then have more children.”

For the former World No.4, the family takes priority over everything. And with an infant daughter, things are tough to juggle. She is trying to find a balance between motherly duties and tennis. “The priority is always with the family and the child. When I see that it is difficult to unite, the child takes a very clear course. You can do it and that’s why I wanted to try it. You already have a certain maturity. The knowledge that nothing is more important than this little person. You live for the baby and then always come to the last place yourself,”– she remarked.

Belinda Bencic further admits that there are a few things she might regret later. But she has a good number of years ahead of her, to make it big. She can still fulfill her dream of winning a Grand Slam, and achieve many more milestones.

“Sacrificed a lot for my career, “ Belinda Bencic on her expedited return to the tour after maternity leave

Professional sport is never easy. Despite embracing motherhood early, Belinda Bencic is ready to extend her career as she prepares to make a comeback with her husband (also her coach) by her side. The Swiss started training to regain her fitness just after 8 weeks of giving birth and she is inspired by the other tennis mothers who made a comeback (Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams, and others).

She further added, “Probably both. I worked so long, trained all my childhood, and sacrificed a lot for my career. That’s why I just want to make the best of it and not stop now. Maybe I would regret it later. I want to get everything out of it that goes. I’m only 27 and still have many good years ahead of me, which is why it was no question for me to come back. It was a conscious decision to start a family now. Of course, it inspired me a lot to see other moms who managed to come back and play at the same level. Also other athletes, not just tennis players.”

It seems that Belinda Bencic has everything figured out. And it would be interesting to see how things fare out for the Swiss star. Though she won’t be playing all the Grand Slam tournaments next season. But things can change as she makes her way forward.