Swiss wins first title post-maternity leave.
©Fadel Senna / AFPBarely 10 months after giving birth to her first child, Bella, Belinda Bencic is back in the winners’ circle.
The Swiss Olympic gold medallist had a huge week at the WTA 500 tournament in Abu Dhabi, where she knocked out Grand Slam winners Elena Rybakina and Marketa Vondrouova en route to the final, before overcoming hard-hitting American Ashlyn Krueger in 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the championship match.
Bencic’s victory over the fifth-ranked Rybakina was her first top-10 triumph since returning from maternity leave late October, and her exploits in the UAE capital earned her a ninth career title and first since she won Abu Dhabi back in 2023.
“I didn't imagine this. I'm getting a little bit emotional. I was working really hard to even play, coming back. To win a title in front of my family, it's really special,” said Bencic, who came back from a set down in both the semis and the final.
“I can't thank them enough for the support all the week. And also, to my coach (Iain Hughes), I think we did such a hard work to play here again. To my family at home, to all my team, to people that helped me, and, of course, to my husband (Martin Hromkovic) and my daughter. I love you so much.
“It was a big dream for me to come back and play in front of her and to win the tournament.”
Bencic was ranked outside the top 1000 as recently as November and has now rocketed up the charts to land at 65 in the world this week.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Krueger has cracked the top 40 as a result of her impressive run in Abu Dhabi, where she defeated third-seeded Daria Kasatkina and eighth-seeded Leylah Fernandez on her way to the first WTA 500 final of her career.
Despite her loss in the final, Krueger can take many positives from her time in the UAE capital.
“I think overall, just my grit and being able to fight through some matches,” said Krueger, who is coached by acclaimed coach Michael Joyce.
“I didn't feel my best this week, and I think that's a really big positive, is being able to get to a final, not playing your best and not feeling your best. And just being tough in that aspect of things, as well as figuring it out on the on the court.”
It’s sometimes easy to forget how young Carlos Alcaraz is, given how much he has already accomplished, but then he reaches an indoor final for the first time and you remember he is only 21.
Making his Rotterdam debut last week, the four-time Grand Slam champion battled through a cold and a tricky field to secure the first indoor title of his career, defeating Australian world No.8 Alex de Minaur 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in the final.
It is Alcaraz’s 17th title overall, first since Beijing last October and it makes him the first Spanish champion in the tournament’s 52-year history.
“This week has been a really good week all together,” said Alcaraz during the trophy ceremony. “Putting in really good work. Coming here [not] feeling 100 per cent well with the cold but after every day I'm feeling better and better. Rotterdam has been a really special week for me. I was going to say not only for the title… yeah for the title as well, but for the support that I received here since the first day.”
As Alcaraz captured his first indoor title, over in Dallas, Denis Shapovalov clinched his third.
The Canadian lefty notched his first win in three meetings with Casper Ruud with a 7-6(5), 6-3 performance in the final to grab the biggest title of his career.
Both of Shapovalov’s previous titles came indoors at the ATP 250 level and he had to dig deep to earn his first trophy at an ATP 500.
Starting the week in Dallas ranked 54 in the world, Shapovalov upset three top-10 players – Taylor Fritz (No.4), Tommy Paul (No.9), and Ruud (No.5) – en route to the title, becoming the first player to do so at an ATP 500 tournament since Nick Kyrgios won Acapulco in 2019.
As a result, Shapovalov, who is a former world No.10, has moved back up to No.32 in the rankings, his highest position since September 2023.
“I do think the win against Taylor gave me a lot of confidence, especially the way I was able to play in the second and third set. It really gave me that belief that I’m able to beat these guys again,” Shapovalov was quoted as saying by atptour.com.
Over in Cluj-Napoca, Anastasia Potapova improved to a perfect 5-0 against Italian Lucia Bronzetti with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 result in the final on Sunday.
The 23-year-old secured the third title of her career and first since 2023 in Linz.
“I’m so happy right now because [it was] such a battle,” said the top-seeded Potapova.
“She is such a great player, she always pushed me to the limits, and I’m really happy that I’m able to hold [the trophy] in my hands now.
“I can be really patient on court, and actually, I can set the highest goals for myself and work for it.”
ROLAND-GARROS
19 May - 8 June 2025
