Tokyo Gold Medalist Belinda Bencic Consoles Swiss Friend Who Sends Saddening Message at the Olympics Village

Belinda Bencic will not be participating in the Paris Olympics. Undoubtedly, it is sad news for the tennis community. After making waves at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by clinching a gold medal for her country in the singles category, one would expect her to produce similar results at the Games this year. However, that’s not the case. But there’s a good reason for that and it certainly trumps any crucial participation for the Swiss professional.

The 27-year-old welcomed her first baby child earlier this season. With this, Bencic is currently recovering from her post-pregnancy period which prevents her from playing professionally on the Tour. Subsequently, compatriot Viktorija Golubic recently posted a heartfelt message for the former World No. 4 after she landed at the Olympic Village ahead of the multi-sport event.

In an Instagram story posted by the Swiss player, Golubic addressed the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist’s absence from the Games. She expressed missing Bencic’s presence at the event, to which the Swiss later consoled her friend by confirming that the feeling was mutual. This year, Switzerland has introduced only two players to represent their tennis roster, notably Golubic for the women’s category and Stan Wawrinka for the men’s column.

Meanwhile, Bencic was last witnessed in action at the 2023 San Diego Open before going on her pregnancy hiatus. However, the Swiss pro was unable to produce noteworthy results at the event as she faced an opening-round defeat at the hands of Aliaksandra Sasnovich. Fast forward to 2024, the 27-year-old and her partner Martin Hromkovic proudly welcomed their newborn daughter, Bella, on April 23, 2024.

To much excitement, the former World No. 4 took little to no time to resume her on-court adventures. Or at least she is in the process of resuming her career on the WTA Tour!

Belinda Bencic aims to balance parenting life with tennis commitments

Less than two months after she gave birth to her daughter Bella, the Swiss resumed her tennis training. This, by a long shot, shows Bencic’s commitment to the sport and how she aims to balance her newfound love for motherhood with the stressful tennis commitments on the Tour.

While the 27-year-old will likely take the process of catching up to the sport slowly as she recovers from the post-pregnancy period, she is speculated to resume her professional journey later this year or in early 2025. For the uninitiated, the World No. 94 has not directly addressed her reasons for skipping out on the opportunity to represent her country at the Games this year. That, however, needs no clarification owing to her ongoing sabbatical.

It will be intriguing to witness her team deliver head-turning results in her absence at the Games. With this, several questions come knocking on the door. The most important one is whether can they live up to gold medalist Bencic’s bar. What are your thoughts? Do let us know in the comments.