"Baby steps forward" - Belinda Bencic celebrates first tennis win in 13 months with boyfriend Martin Hromkovic and daughter Bella by her side

Swiss tennis professional Belinda Bencic made the perfect return to competitive tennis after a year-long hiatus due to pregnancy. Bencic overcame Russia's Julia Avdeeva in straight sets at the W75 Hamburg on Wednesday with her boyfriend Martin Hromkovic and baby daughter Bella by her side.

Bencic broke Avdeeva in the first game of the Round of 32 match. The Russian returned to serve by breaking back in the sixth game, but the Swiss raised her game to convert two more break points to take the set.

Bencic found her footing in the second set as she threatened a bagel with back-to-back breaks on Avdeeva's serve. Her opponent salvaged a game and saved four match points in total, but failed to avoid the loss. The match lasted for 73 minutes with the scoreline reading 6-3, 6-1 in Bencic's favor.

Hours later, the former World No. 4 took to Instagram and celebrated the win, her first as a mother.

"And we are back! With one more member to our team. Thank you to @hamburger_tennisverband for the WC, and round 2️ we go tomorrow! Baby steps forward," she captioned a post containing half-a-dozen stills from the match.

This was Belinda Bencic's first competitive appearance in 13 months. She last played at the San Diego Open in September 2023, losing to Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the Round of 32 as the fifth seed.

Bencic and her partner Martin Hromkovic welcomed their daughter Bella on April 23, 2024, and the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist began her recovery following that.

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Belinda Bencic: "Bella lets me sleep at night and comes with us to the court or during training"

Belinda Bencic (Getty)

After the win at the W75 Hamburg on Wednesday, Belinda Bencic sat down with the reporters for a chat and reflected on Bella's arrival in her life.

"We have cherished every second with Bella. She is a very happy baby. She lets me sleep at night and comes with us to the court or during training. This way, I can fully focus on my discipline," she said.

The Swiss looked forward to a gradual return to her best self on the court:

"At home, we've managed to find our rhythm. Now, it's about adjusting that to the ATP and WTA schedule. This is the first time she's flying. I'm not seeking perfection just yet, but I need to see where my weaknesses lie. I had to listen to my body and take it easy."

Belinda Bencic's next challenge in Hamburg is Finland's Anastasia Kulikova. This will be the duo's first meeting.