Belinda Bencic joked about her daughter Bella being 'skeptical' when Daria Kasatkina shared her struggles of making the toddler laugh. The Swiss tennis star recently won her first tournament as a mother in Abu Dhabi.
On her YouTube channel 'What the Vlog,' Kasatkina and her partner Natalia Zabiiako featured in a vlog shot during their time at the Abu Dhabi Open. The couple met up with Bencic and Leylah Fernandez for the video.
During her conversation with the Swiss, Kasatkina revealed she met Bella, Bencic's 10-month-old daughter, and shared her experience.
"I saw Bella the other day, my God, she's like—like it's tough to make her laugh, but she's so cute," Kasatkina said.
In response, Bencic agreed and joked that her daughter can be 'skeptical.'
"She's very skeptical. At first, she just checks you out. She judges you, silently," Bencic said.
Bencic was away from the WTA Tour since September 2023 and in November of the same year, she announced that she was pregnant. The Swiss tennis star and her partner Martin Hromkovic welcomed daughter Bella in April 2024.
Later that year, Bencic returned to tour playing several low-level events. She even helped Switzerland defeat Serbia in the Billie Jean King Cup in November before reaching the final of a WTA 125 event.
Her impressive 2025 season has already seen her win her first event as a mother.
Belinda Bencic got emotional as she won the Abu Dhabi Open in front of her husband Martin and daughter Bella
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Belinda Bencic's last title before pregnancy hiatus came in Abu Dhabi in 2023. Fittingly, her first title since then has also come at the same event. Her phenomenal run included a double bagel win in the second round and a win over top seed Elena Rybakina in the semifinal. In the final, she defeated Ashlyn Krueger to claim the WTA 500 title.
Her husband Martin Hromkovic was present with their daughter Bella courtside to watch the Swiss win. After the match, Bencic said:
"I am super happy to be back here in Abu Dhabi. I didn't imagine this. I am also getting a little bit emotional."
"I was working really hard to even play, coming back. So to also win a title in front of my family, it's really special. To my husband and my daughter Bella, I love you so much. It was a big dream for me to come back and play in front of her and to win a tournament," Belinda Bencic added.
Bencic was ranked World No. 489 at the end of 2024, but with her exceptional performances in 2025, she has climbed up to World No. 65.