When Belinda Bencic returned to the WTA Tour after having her daughter, Bella, few could have predicted what was coming. Just a few months into her comeback, she won the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open in 2025, and the words “just a mini dream come true” perfectly captured what the moment meant to her. Her desire to compete had never gone away. Her perspective on life had shifted, something she admitted after winning her French Open match on Sunday.

“It changed a lot.. I feel very grateful we can travel with our family & go to beautiful tournaments,” Bencic said to Caroline Garcia after defeating Sinja Kraus in Round 1.

Bencic and her husband, Martin Hromkovic, announced they were expecting back in November 2023, and little Bella was born on April 23 the following year. Bencic spent more than a year away from tennis, spending time with family and experiencing a chapter only parent-athletes truly understand.

“Soon, you’ll know the same,” she then told Garcia, who’s also expecting a baby.

The former pro, however, turned the emotional moment light-hearted as she pointed out a major difference between them. “Soon, but no comeback planned so far,” Garcia said. She retired after the U.S. Open last year and plans to stay away from the court for the time being.

Garcia announced in March this year that she and her husband, Borja Duran, are expecting their first child. The couple revealed the pregnancy through a joint social-media post filmed at the scenic Hotel Fairmont Mayakoba Riviera Maya in Mexico. In the pictures, Garcia and Duran walked together along the beach wearing blue outfits while holding sonogram photos.

Meanwhile, Bencic arrived in Paris carrying her own emotional storyline. The Swiss player missed last year’s Roland Garros after suffering a recurring arm injury during practice, just days before the tournament. It was her first appearance at Roland Garros since 2023, and her first win since 2022.

On Court Philippe-Chatrier, she defeated Kraus without breaking much of a sweat, 6-2, 6-3. She will now face Caty McNally in the second round, and is seeded to cross paths with Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in the round of 16, which could make for a mouth-watering clash.

And as far as motherhood is concerned, Bencic has consistently embraced and supported fellow mothers, and even soon-to-be mothers like Garcia, on tour. Her own comeback journey has only strengthened that connection further.

Belinda Bencic’s heartfelt message to new mom Ons Jabeur

Last month, former world No. 2 Ons Jabeur announced the birth of her baby boy, Elyan, alongside her husband and fitness trainer, Karim Kamoun. The couple welcomed their son on April 20 and shared the emotional news through a joint social-media post. 

Throughout Jabeur’s pregnancy, Belinda Bencic remained one of the players most openly supportive of the Tunisian. She spoke warmly about her close friend during an on-court interview at the Credit One Charleston Open.

“I’m very happy for her,” Bencic said. “We are texting sometimes, and I’m glad she’s doing well. She’s going to be an amazing mother. I think it was her big dream to have a baby, and I think it’s amazing that athletes choose their family as well as their career.”

For Bencic, motherhood has become a central part of her tennis journey of late. Few active players have managed to balance family life and elite competition as smoothly as she has. Since returning to the tour, she has repeatedly spoken about the importance of keeping her daughter Bella close during tournaments.

At the same time, she has continued competing at a high level, with her ranking rising from No. 1,213 upon her return to breaking back into the top 10 earlier this year.

“I choose to bring Bella to every tournament,” Bencic said to Richard Osborn in Charleston. “I spend so much time with her. I’m really grateful I have this opportunity, to have people around me who help me do that, to be able to play and bring Bella with me.”

“Literally, I wake up to her every morning, I put her to sleep every night,” she wholesomely added.

Now through to the second round of the French Open, Bencic continues proving that motherhood and elite tennis can coexist beautifully. It will now be fascinating to see whether that emotional strength helps the Swiss star push even deeper into the French Open.