A new mom and now the reigning Abu Dhabi Open champion! A scintillating motherhood story, isn’t it? After a challenging start to the season, 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic amazed the world by reclaiming the title she first won in 2023. But this time, the moment was even more special, with her baby girl, born last April, cheering her on from the stands. And her triumphant return didn’t go unnoticed, as even a former world No. 1 congratulated her on this emphatic victory!

Belinda Bencic may have had a rocky start to 2025, with a Round of 16 exit at the Adelaide International and a fourth-round loss to Coco Gauff at the AO, but she wasted no time making a statement at her first WTA 500 event of the season. The Swiss stormed through the early rounds of the Abu Dhabi Open, defeating the likes of Rebecca Šramková, Veronika Kudermetova, and Markéta Vondroušová. Then came the SF showdown against the top seeder at the tournament, Elena Rybakina. After dropping the first set against Rybakina, Bencic unleashed her brilliance, dominating the last two sets to book her spot in the final. And what a final it was!

Despite being unseeded, Ashlyn Krueger came out firing, taking the first set 6-4. But from then on, it was all Belinda. She flipped the script in a commanding fashion, crushing her American opponent 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 to clinch the trophy in style. And as if the triumph wasn’t sweet enough, she received praise from none other than the six-time majors winner Boris Becker right after her match.

Right after the match, The Tennis Letter shared a short video of Belinda celebrating her victory in Abu Dhabi with her daughter, captioning, “Belinda Bencic holding her daughter after winning her first title since coming back as a mom in Abu Dhabi. She gave birth less than a year ago… what a comeback. Bella in her arms. Joy all over her face. 🥹”. And as soon as the post went live, Boris Becker chimed in with a reply. “That’s what you call a comeback…. Well done Belinda B,” the German legend wrote. But why is Belinda Bencic’s victory generating so much buzz?

Ranked as low as 1,213 in the WTA rankings just a couple of months ago, Bencic’s Abu Dhabi win marks a remarkable comeback after a 13-month hiatus from the tour. She stepped away from competition in September 2023 after playing in the WTA 500 event in San Diego, later revealing that she was pregnant. And, nearly seven months later, she welcomed her first child, Bella. The joyous moment was first shared with the world by her longtime partner and her fitness coach, Martin Hromkovič.

Following her maternity break, Belinda made her return to Adelaide International for warmup, where she had to battle through the qualifying rounds to reach the main draw. Her Happy Slam campaign ended in disappointment as well. But in Abu Dhabi, she spectacularly turned the page, clinching the title and signaling the resurgence of another tennis mom.

Belinda is expected to return to the top 65 when the new rankings are released on Monday. However, before that, she shed light on her performance after her triumph.

“It was a big dream for me” – Belinda Bencic after winning the Abu Dhabi Open

13 winners and 3 unforced errors in the second set! That’s some high-quality tennis from the Swiss, especially after weathering 51st-ranked Krueger’s 21 winners in the first set, which helped the American take the opening set. But in hindsight, wasn’t this comeback always on the cards?

Despite winning only 38 percent of her first-serve points in the opening set, the Swiss star bounced back in style from the second, racing to a commanding 4-0 lead in a quick time. And even when a medical timeout was needed to treat her hand injury midway through the final set, the former world No. 4 held her nerve, sealing the victory in two hours and 23 minutes. A champion’s mindset, through and through! And, right after the match, she reflected on her overall performance.

“It’s been a while! I’m super happy to be back here in Abu Dhabi. It’s so emotional to come back and to win a title in front of my family is really special. We have done such hard work to come back. It was a big dream for me,” Bencic said. She even shared her opinion on Bella coming into her life while holding her during the trophy presentation.

“We are so appreciative and blessed to have Bella in your lives, and then also to be able to still do what I want to do, and then also having the good results on top of that – the emotions were just that I’m incredibly grateful, blessed and just a mini dream come true,” the Swiss added.

With this win, Bencic not only extended her record to 9-0 at the Abu Dhabi Open but also secured one of the most significant titles wins by a mother on a WTA tour since Victoria Azarenka’s triumph at the 2020 Cincinnati Open. As the season unfolds, all eyes will be on Bencic as she continues her journey, aiming for even bigger achievements in the new season.