"Now you’re in the semi-finals, but are you still changing diapers?" - Belinda Bencic sparks frustrations over links to motherhood whilst on the court

On 23rd April 2024, Belinda Bencic became a mother for the first time. She initially prioritised her personal life over her tennis career, sitting out of the 2024 campaign to start a family. With her now returning to her best on the court, she is now firing back at questions surrounding parenthood, wanting them to focus on tennis.

The former world number four made headlines earlier this year after she reached the Wimbledon semi-final, defeating Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals before exiting in the last four to the eventual champion Iga Swiatek. It was her second Grand Slam since coming back, and she had equalled her best result that she achieved at Flushing Meadows in 2019.

The 28-year-old has also added a title to her collection, winning the Abu Dhabi Open title as a wildcard. She overcame former Grand Slam winners Marketa Vondrousova and Elena Rybakina before defeating American Ashlyn Krueger in three sets to win her ninth title in her career.

Overall, it has been a very positive year, boasting a 28-14 record whilst rising back up the rankings to world number 18. Despite the quality she has shown on the court, Bencic has not escaped the motherhood questions, something that has started to get under her skin.

“I try to be quite open, to give something and not just answer with yes and no," she said in a recent interview. "But when they ask you live on TV, on the BBC to boost things like: ‘Now you’re in the semi-finals, but are you still changing diapers?’ Then I have to say: can we please talk about the quarter-final we won?

“I love being a mother, but at some point, it’s enough. I don’t answer all the questions, they’re too private. Yes, exactly. Of course, being a mother is part of my identity. But I also want to be known for being a good sportswoman and tennis player.”

The Swiss tennis player is not the only one to voice her complaints about this, with Japanese star Naomi Osaka spreading similar opinions earlier this year. The four-time Grand Slam champion missed the entire 2023 season as she became a mother for the very first time, returning at the beginning of the 2024 campaign.

She has only started to kick on in recent times, having started to find her best form. She made it to the Canadian Open final in Montreal, but was narrowly dispossessed by 18-year-old Canadian Victoria Mboko, who prevented Osaka from clinching her first Masters 1000 title since 2019.

She went on to feature in the US Open, an event she has come out on top in twice. She made a famous run to the semi-finals, beating the likes of world number three Coco Gauff along the way. She failed to make it to the final, losing out in three sets to eventual runner-up Amanda Anisimova.

Her recent form, similar to Bencic, has again been linked to her becoming a mother, surrounding the narrative around that instead of her achievements on the court.

It is not unusual for women tennis players to look towards parenthood partway through their career. 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams won her last major title whilst around two months pregnant with her first child. She took some time out, then returned to the tour and even made four finals between 2018-2019.

These examples show that motherhood should not overshadow their achievements on the tennis court. Bencic and Osaka are two prime examples who want people talking about their tennis accomplishments rather than other topics away from the sport.