Belinda Bencic set to return to competitive tennis in October following maternity leave

Former World No.4 Belinda Bencic will make her comeback to professional tennis this month, after taking some time off to give birth to her first child.

The Swiss star has been out of action since the 2023 San Diego Open in September, announcing her pregnancy soon after the event. Bencic would give birth to her first child, Bella, in April 2024 and has been ramping up her training as she prepares to return to the WTA Tour.

The 27-year old is set to compete at an ITF W75 Hamburg event on October 28, which she will use to gauge her fitness level ahead of Switzerland's Billie Jean King Cup tie against Serbia in November.

“I'm extremely excited to compete in Hamburg and very grateful for the wild card,” said Bencic. “The timing of my comeback fits very well. My goal for this year is the Billie Jean King Cup in November [in Biel], and I’m happy to test my level at the Hamburg tournament beforehand.”

With eight WTA singles titles to her name, Bencic has also won Olympic singles gold and doubles silver at the Tokyo Games in 2020. Furthermore, she reached the semifinals at the 2019 US Open, and led Switzerland to its first Billie Jean King Cup title two years later.