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Belinda Bencic: The Last Mother Still Standing At Wimbledon
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images

Beneath all the noise of crowning a new Wimbledon champion this weekend lies a story that could be as captivating as it is historic.

The 2025 edition of the most prestigious Grand Slam tournament started with nine mothers in the singles draw, which might be a record, but as the final eight was confirmed, only one was still standing. Belinda Bencic has won almost every significant accolade in tennis. She is a former junior world #1 and won two junior Grand Slams (French Open and Wimbledon). She is a champion at the WTA 1000 level and is the only Swiss woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal in singles.

Yet, Bencic’s highly impressive resume misses one of tennis’ four cornerstones – a Grand Slam at the senior level. The closest she’s come was reaching the semifinals at the 2019 US Open.

A Swiss connection?

For so long, Wimbledon had felt like a Swiss territory until Roger Federer’s retirement in 2022. Federer contested a record 12 finals and is the most successful male player in the tournament’s history with eight titles. His counterpart, Martina Hingis, became the youngest champion (Open Era) in the women’s tournament back in 1997. Hingis was 16 years and 278 days old when she recovered a set deficit to beat the late Jana Novotna 2-6 6-3 6-3.

Aside from being compatriots, Bencic shares a deeper connection with both Federer and Hingis. She regards Federer as her idol and mentor, and they have played mixed doubles together in the past, winning the Hopman Cup in back-to-back seasons. The 20-time Grand Slam champion has also intangibly helped her navigate the toughest moments in her career. Bencic sought Federer’s advice on receiving the best treatment for her wrist surgery in 2017.

With Hingis, it was about setting the platform and developing a blueprint that would maximize her talent. Bencic trained under Hingis’ mother and coach Melanie Molitor from the age of four and steadily built her game around court intelligence and finesse, and became a mirror of the retired WTA legend. One year following the birth of her baby daughter Bella, the 28-year-old is looking to pull off yet another history making feat – becoming only the second woman in the Open Era returned to competition after a maternity break to win the Wimbledon singles titles, and that was precisely 45 years ago.

How close have mothers come to winning a Grand Slam since the last successful one?

Kim Clijsters is the last mother to win a Grand Slam. That was at the 2011 Australian Open. There have been a few who have come close in the last decade. Serena Williams played in three Major finals following the birth of her first child in 2017, but  the legendary American lost all three finals (twice at the US Open and once at Wimbledon). In the 2020s, Germany’s Tatjana Maria came closest to reaching the final at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, losing to Ons Jabeur in the semifinals.

With just three more rounds to ultimate glory, Bencic’s belief will be soaring, but she has played down expectations – not least because nobody (probably including herself) saw this run the coming. After all, she had no form to speak of when she arrived in London having missed the French Open over a month ago because of a recurring arm injury and losing in the first round in Bad Homburg.

But you would not have guessed that based on the way she has played so far at Wimbledon, as well as enjoying some good fortune. She avoided a third-round meeting against Jessica Pegula, who surprisingly fell at the first hurdle. And the highest-ranked player she faced before the quarterfinals was 18th seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, who she beat in straight sets and avenging the loss she suffered to the Russian in Bad Homburg. As she continues to stay under the radar, Bencic says her focus is only on the next match and is not looking far ahead.

“To focus on the next match. I think it’s nothing more. You shouldn’t get ahead of yourself. I mean, of course, you’re in the quarterfinals, but it’s just like any other match. You have to get through that match to play the next one, right? So, there’s no point in in looking ahead,” Bencic told the Tennis Channel desk following her fourth-round win.

She added, “And I’m someone that I don’t like to make big statements about how I want to win the tournament, blah blah blah. It’s not important. I have to focus on the next one. And I’m really happy with how I played better from round to round and I’m improving on the court. So I hope to continue like that and just you know, focusing on Wednesday. Very boring answer. I know guys, I’m not making big headlines.”

Bencic, who is the last mother still standing, will play her first top 10 opponent at the Championships in the quarterfinals. 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva stands in her way. The Russian also has a story to tell as the last remaining teenager left.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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