Tokyo Olympic champion Belinda Bencic for the first time has reached Wimbledon’s quarter-finals and continued their way back to the top of the world.
The 28-year-old Swiss, who had returned from a baby break in autumn 2024 and formed a mixed double with Germany’s number one Alexander Zverev at the US Open at the end of August, defeated the Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova with 7: 4), 6: 4 in the round of 16. After the transformed match ball, she broke out into tears.
“It is incredible to share this experience as a family,” said Bencic, who gave birth to daughter Bella 15 months ago. For the first time in the quarter -finals, it is “a dream that becomes true.”
In the round of the best eight, she now meets the Russian Mirra Andreeva, who also reached the quarter -finals on Church Road for the first time – and the youngest player since Nicole Vaidisova 2007 (both 18 years and 75 days). Emma Navarro from the USA defeated the world ranking southern 6-2, 6: 3.
In another quarter -finals, Iga Swiade from Poland and the Russian Ludmilla Samsonova face each other. The five-time Grand Slam winner Swiatek defeated the Danish Clara Tauson with 6: 4, 6: 1 and only reached the top eight in the southwest of Londons for the second time in her successful career. Samsonowa defeated the Spaniard Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro 7: 5, 7: 5.
In the Grand Slam tournaments, the former world ranking-listed Bencic had so far only got past the round of 16 at the US Open (2014, 2019, 2021). In Tokyo, like Zverev 2021, she won the Olympic gold medal.
After the US Open 2023 she took a baby break. Her return to the tour took place in late autumn 2024, since then she has been struggling back to the top of the world. In February she won the WTA tournament in Abu Dhabi.