“I always got stuck in the 4th round”: Belinda Bencic returns to Grand Slam quarters after motherhood break

Belinda Bencic was elated after reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals and overcoming the fourth-round hurdle, following three consecutive losses at the same stage in Grand Slam tournaments. The Swiss tennis player defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova in a tough battle, where she squandered five set points before securing a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory.

The Tokyo 2020 gold medalist achieved her best Grand Slam performance since the 2021 US Open, where she also reached the quarterfinals. Bencic also guarantees her return to the top-25, just six months after her comeback to the courts at the beginning of the year – following a one-year career break for maternity.

The former World No. 4 was particularly emotional after defeating Alexandrova, and was even seen in tears at the end of the match. “I always got stuck in the 4th round,” she laughed in her on-court interview. “It was so important for me today to be able to breakthrough to the quarterfinals. It’s crazy. It’s really a dream come true. It’s crazy. I’m so happy.”

The Swiss had been stopped in the fourth round of Wimbledon three times (2015, 2018, and 2023), in addition to four other fourth-round losses at the Australian Open and US Open. In fact, the Swiss had been halted in the fourth round in four of her last five Grand Slam appearances, including her participation in the Australian Open at the start of the year.

Bencic, 28, returned to Wimbledon after two years, though this time with a new addition to her family: her one-year-old daughter, Bella. Bencic spoke about the love she and her daughter have for the traditional Wimbledon strawberries. “After the tournament... we have the all-white dress code so we’re trying to look clean. Without the cream for now. Bella is really enjoying them. She’s always really dirty so I’m glad we have a wash machine.”

Bencic is still waiting to find out her opponent, who will be the winner between Mirra Andreeva (No. 7) and Emma Navarro (10th). In three previous Major quarterfinal appearances, she has only advanced to the semifinals once: back in the 2018 US Open, where she fell to eventual champion Bianca Andreescu.