"I'm happy to stop playing tennis & be a full-time mom" - Belinda Bencic reveals how her priorities have changed after daughter Bella's birth

Belinda Bencic recently opened up about how her priorities have changed since giving birth to her daughter Bella. She gave birth to her in April 2024.

In November 2023, Bencic and her husband, who is also her fitness coach Martin Hromkovic took to social media and announced that they were expecting their first child together. The couple welcome Bella last year on April 23.

Recently, while speaking on Caroline Garcia and her fiance Borja Duran's podcast, the 'Tennis Insider Club,' Belinda Bencic spoke about her pregnancy, the birth of Bella and motherhood. She expressed that during her pregnancy, initially, she harbored doubts about her ability to make a comeback to court.

“You never know how the pregnancy is going to be, how the birth is going to be. No matter, as long as you could, you would try to come back. But I was also ready for the fact, like, maybe I will hold my baby and say, I don't want to play ever again. I was ready for this, but it never happened," Bencic said [45:47].

Bencic said she later realised that it was indeed possible to make a comeback and was happy she was able to do so as she did not want to give up on playing tennis, something she has done all her life.

“I was really convinced that it's possible to come back. And I was also happy to come back because I also feel like all the work I did in my career in my childhood, I don't want to just throw it away and just want to take out the most when I can out of my career and, and also like see that it's possible to have both," she continued [46:02].

Belinda Bencic also spoke about how her priorities have changed since Bella's birth. She stated that if something happens, she would willingly step away from her tennis career and embrace full-time motherhood.

However, for now, she said that she is relishing the opportunity to travel the world and compete in tournaments while having her mother, husband Martin Hromkovic and his mother by her side to help care for Bella.

“I don't think it's like proving myself. I think it's just like doing the best I can for sure. Like the priorities. So if anything happens, I'm very happy to stop playing tennis and be a full time mom if that's what I need to do. But I feel like now it's possible to do both. And thankfully, like I have the opportunity to do like with my husband traveling, with my mom traveling, with his mom traveling. So I really want to take use of that and try the best," Belinda Bencic added [46:32].

This season, Belinda Bencic has already won a title, the 2025 Abu Dhabi Open by defeating Ashlyn Krueger in the final. En route to the final, the Swiss had defeated the likes of Rebecca Sramkova, Veronika Kudermetova, Marketa Vondrousova and Elena Rybakina.

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“I would be happy if she plays, but don't necessarily need her to play professionally" - Belinda Bencic if she wants her daughter Bella to play tennis

Belinda Bencic with her daughter Bella at the 2025 Dhabi Open [Image Source: Getty Images]

In the aforementioned podcast, Belinda Bencic was asked about the possibility of her daughter, Bella, following in her footsteps and pursuing a career in tennis. In response, Bencic stated that she would not be opposed to Bella playing tennis or any other sport, as she believes that sports can teach valuable life lessons.

“I would for sure would be happy if she knows how to play. But I don't really want to now do everything so she becomes just a tennis player. I want her to do sports because I feel like sports is a great life school as well. Like, it teaches you so many things, like, really, like, discipline, resilience, like, to not give up, to always improve. In any sport, I think that happens," Belinda Bencic said [39:04].

Bencic mentioned that it would be inevitable for Bella to be exposed to tennis, as she has been watching her mother play the sport since she was born. She expressed that she would be delighted to see Bella play tennis, even if she does not choose to pursue it professionally.

“So for sure, I want her to do something. I think it's almost unavoidable that she will start to play tennis because now the first years of her life, she will travel with us on the tournament, which she will see just tennis. I would be happy for sure if she plays, but I don't necessarily need her to play like professionally," she added [39:34].

Belinda Bencic's last competed at the 2025 Dubai Tennis Championships, where she secured a victory against qualifier Aoi Ito in the first round before being defeated by eighth seed Emma Navarro in the second round.