Belinda Bencic reveals how Martina Hingis played an important role in her tennis career

Belinda Bencic opened up about her relationship with five-time Major champion Martina Hingis. Bencic explained that when she was a child just starting to play tennis, Hingis was at the height of her career, but would still take time to hit balls with the young hopefuls, for their benefit and hers.

Bencic, the 2021 Olympic champion, grew up in Flawil in northeastern Switzerland but shares a Czechoslovakian heritage with Hingis. Hingis moved to Switzerland from Czechoslovakia at age 7, and Bencic was fortunate enough to practice with the three-time Australian Open champion at a young age.

In the inaugural episode of the Kim Clijsters' Love All with Kim Clijsters podcast uploaded on April 3, Belinda Bencic discussed how she first became a tennis player. Besides discussing the difficulties of Touring as a mother, Bencic said how Hingis would often play with children to hone her skills.

"Well she [Martina Hingis] was so nice. I think that was really early, I mean she was hitting all the time with kids, and even like as her main practice she ould be just on the net, you know volleying for hours, not missing one volley and playing with 8 year olds and 10 year olds and 12 year old kids, like with everyone. So it's inbelievable. I mean apparently it gave her alot, you know, with just trying to hit the ball as good to us, so we don't miss and just keep the rallies going," Bencic said (13:10 onwards).

She also revealed how Hingis supported her in the early stages of her career and tried to help her. Hingis was on hand when Bencic reached the quarterfinals of the US Open in 2014, becoming the youngest since Hingis to do so.

"When she came back also then to play doubles, she was on the tour all the time, and then she was trying to help me. She knew me since I was very, very small, so naturally she came to watch my matches and I think even when I played in Toronto she was at every match, you know the US Open, so I think she was obviously very very happy for me," Bencic added.

Martina Hingis won five Major singles titles and 13 Grand Slam doubles titles. She won her first Major at just 16 years of age. She remains the game's youngest Grand Slam champion in the Open era.

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Belinda Bencic is still chasing her first Grand Slam at 28 years of age

Belinda Bencic at Miami Open Presented by Itau 2025 - Day 4 - Source: Getty

Like Hingis, Belinda Bencic was a teenage prodigy as she won two Major junior singles titles in 2013 and was the junior World No. 1. Having reached the US Open quarterfinals in 2014 at the age of 17, the Swiss player was expected to go on and replicate the achievements of her compatriot and mentor.

However, between 2016 and 2018, Bencic picked up several injuries that threatened to derail her career. She recovered in 2019 and reached the US Open semifinals for the first time, finishing the year inside the top 10 and picking up the WTA's Comeback of the Year award.

In 2021, Belinda Bencic realized her finest achievement yet, winning gold in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. She took a break from tennis in 2023 to start a family and returned to the Tour in 2024. While she's yet to pick up a Major at age 28, Bencic has demonstrated that a Grand Slam title is within her grasp.