In the glittering lights of Tokyo’s Ariake Coliseum, Belinda Benčič etched another chapter in her remarkable tennis odyssey. On October 26, the 28-year-old Swiss sensation dismantled Czech rising star Linda Noskova 6-2, 6-3 to claim the Toray Pan Pacific Open title—her 10th WTA singles trophy and a poetic full-circle moment. It was here, a decade ago, that a teenage Benčič fell in the 2015 final to Agnieszka Radwanska by nearly the same lopsided score. Now, as a mother, Olympic champion, and comeback queen, she’s not just back; she’s thriving.
Benčič’s 2025 season has been nothing short of inspirational. Starting the year ranked No. 421 after maternity leave, she clawed her way to No. 11 by week’s end, saving all 10 break points in the Tokyo final and converting three of her own in a clinical 81-minute masterclass. “It was really a déjà vu moment,” Benčič said post-match, her voice laced with gratitude. “I feel very welcome to play here in Japan.” This triumph—her second in Tokyo, following her 2021 Olympic gold—caps a year of redemption, resilience, and raw talent, reaffirming why she’s one of the WTA’s most compelling figures.
From Swiss Roots to Global Prodigy
Born on March 10, 1997, in Flawil, Switzerland, to parents Dana and Ivan Benčič, Benčič’s story is woven with athletic heritage and serendipity. Her father, a former professional ice hockey player in Switzerland’s top leagues who emigrated from Czechoslovakia in 1968 amid the Soviet invasion, introduced her to tennis at age two. By four, she was rallying with him daily; by five, she caught the eye of Melanie Molitor, mother of Swiss legend Martina Hingis, who became her coach. A six-month stint at Nick Bollettieri’s famed Florida academy at age six honed her skills, and sponsorship from family friend Marcel Niederer allowed her father to coach full-time.
The family’s 2004 move to Wollerau, near Molitor’s academy, was pivotal—Benčič trained daily with Hingis’s mother until 19, often sparring with the icon herself. “Martina was my idol,” Benčič later reflected. Her all-court game—marked by a ferocious two-handed backhand, pinpoint serving, and tactical aggression—echoed Hingis’s precision, but with modern power.
Benčič’s junior career was a blaze of glory. Turning pro at 15 in 2012, she still dominated the ITF Junior Circuit, becoming world No. 1 in 2013. That year, she swept the French Open and Wimbledon girls’ singles titles, defeating Antonia Lottner and Taylor Townsend in the finals, respectively. A 39-match win streak capped her junior run as the ITF Junior World Champion—the first Swiss girl to claim Grand Slam singles titles since Hingis in 1994.
Breakthrough and the Weight of Expectations
Benčič’s WTA debut came in 2013 in Luxembourg, but 2014 was her explosion. At 17, she stunned the field to reach the US Open quarterfinals—the youngest since Hingis in 1997—toppling Top-10ers Angelique Kerber and Jelena Jankovic en route. Voted WTA Newcomer of the Year, she cracked the top 40 and inked a Nike deal.
2015 was magical: Benčič, still a qualifier in some events, won her first WTA title at Eastbourne, dethroning Radwanska, then peaked at the Canadian Open in Toronto. Beating four Top-10 players—including world No. 1 Serena Williams—in a dream run, she felled Simona Halep in the final for her maiden Premier 5 crown. At 18, she hit No. 12, with two singles and two doubles titles (Prague and Washington, D.C.). But the Tokyo final loss to Radwanska hinted at the pressures ahead.
Injuries struck hard from 2016-2018. A back issue sidelined her at the French Open, a wrist tear forced 2017 surgery (dropping her to No. 312), and a 2018 foot stress fracture derailed clay season. Yet Benčič’s grit shone through: three ITF titles in 2017 and a 2018 Nike extension fueled her return.
Olympic Glory and Semifinal Peaks
2019 marked her renaissance. Benčič captured the Dubai Championships (another Premier 5) and Kremlin Cup, reached the US Open semifinals (beating Naomi Osaka twice), and qualified for the WTA Finals—earning Comeback Player of the Year. Her career-high No. 4 arrived in February 2020.
The pandemic-shortened 2020 season led to Tokyo 2021, where Benčič scripted history. In singles, she outlasted Vondroušová 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 for gold—the first Swiss woman to win Olympic tennis gold. Partnering Viktorija Golubic, she snagged doubles silver, falling to the Czech duo of Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková. “The Olympics will always be my biggest achievement,” Benčič said recently. “You only get a few chances in a lifetime.”
Back on tour, she hit the US Open quarters in 2021 and Abu Dhabi quarters in 2022, helping Switzerland to the Billie Jean King Cup title. Teaming with Roger Federer for Hopman Cup wins in 2018-19 added mixed flair. Grand Slam highlights include Australian Open fourth rounds (2016, 2023, 2025), French Open third rounds (2019, 2022), and that 2019 US Open semi. Her singles record: 421-220 (65.7% win rate); doubles: 78-65 with two titles.
Motherhood, Marriage, and a Meteoric 2025 Return
Life off-court evolved swiftly. Benčič, who holds dual Swiss-Slovak citizenship, began dating Slovak fitness trainer and former footballer Martin Hromkovič in 2018. They wed in April 2024 in St. Gallen, Switzerland—the same month their daughter, Bella, arrived. Benčič paused her career for maternity, returning to ITF events in late 2024 and helping Switzerland win the Billie Jean King Cup.
2025 has been her phoenix year. Using a protected ranking, she reached the Australian Open fourth round, Indian Wells and Madrid quarters, and—most stunningly—Wimbledon semifinals, falling to Iga Świątek. An arm injury forced her to retire from the Italian Open and withdraw from the French Open, but she rebounded at Bad Homburg. February’s Abu Dhabi Open win over Elena Rybakina and Ashlyn Krueger was her post-mom breakthrough. Tokyo sealed it: her 10th title, earnings over $14.6 million, and a top-15 resurgence.
Now with Asics apparel and Yonex racquets, Benčič’s net worth hovers at $6 million. Brother Brian, a former top-200 junior, coaches alongside her. “Tennis isn’t everything anymore,” she told BNP Paribas Open in March, “but I want to maximize it—for me, for Bella.”
As Hong Kong looms next—with Benčič as top seed—her story inspires. From prodigy to parent, she’s proven tennis’s ultimate truth: comebacks aren’t linear, but they’re possible. In Tokyo, under those familiar lights, Belinda Benčič didn’t just win a title. She reclaimed her legacy.
