Belinda Bencic picks lower-tier tournament to kick off post-pregnancy comeback

10/18/2024 09:20 PM

Belinda Bencic won't miss the entire 2024 season after the Swiss tennis star accepted to take a wildcard into an ITF tournament in Hamburg and also represent her nation in their upcoming Billie Jean King Cup tie.

Last November, the former world No. 4 announced she was pregnant with her first child. Initially, the belief and expectation was that she would not play any tournaments this year.

But after welcoming daughter Bella in April, Bencic wants to get some action and try to get some feeling and rhythm before the 2025 season. 

In 10 days, the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist will launch her post-pregnancy comeback. For the 27-year-old Swiss, it will be her first appearance at the ITF level since she won Las Vegas in 2018.

“I'm extremely excited to compete in Hamburg and very grateful for the wild card. 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," the former world No. 4 announced.

Since the Swiss hasn't played any tournaments since last year's September and she recently gave birth, it is not a surprise that she is still not anywhere near her best fitness level. However, Bencic at least wants to at least see where she is at in the next few weeks.

"I’m not yet at the absolute peak of my tennis and fitness level, but I feel really good and ready to compete. I want to test myself in a competitive setting to see what we need to work on to start the next season in top form. We also want to see how we can logistically manage everyday life at the tournament with Bella," the 2019 US Open semifinalist noted.

Although Bencic hasn't played in a long time, she still still headline the Hamburg player field.